Den of Geek Magazine Issue 13 - House of the Dragon Season 2

THE BIKERIDERS A

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer star in Jeff Nichols’ sexy joyride

QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE DAN STEVENS

Back to where it all began with Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn

Our exclusive shoot with the actor who is having a phenomenal year 2

PHIA SABAN is Helaena Targaryen

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY is King Aegon II Targaryen

EWAN MITCHELL is Aemond Targaryen

Own the epic

From authentic cards and coveted comics to ultra-rare toys, find it all on eBay.

▼THE BIKERIDERS

Director Jeff Nichols and star Jodie Comer take us into the world of ’60s biker gang The Vandals in this love letter to American cool. PG. 50

▲THE ACOLYTE

Set 100 years before the movies, the new live-action series is a “mystery thriller” that takes us deeper into the history of the Sith Lords. Showrunner Leslye Headland tells us how the show came together. PG. 20

▲INSIDE OUT 2

Pixar’s emotional sequel sees young Riley hit her teenage years. Joining Fear, Sadness, Joy, Anger, and Disgust are new guys Anxiety, Ennui, Envy, and Embarrassment. It’s a lot. PG. 14

▲UNCANNY X-MEN

The Krakoa era of Uncanny X-Men is drawing to a close after five years, with the landmark 700th issue. Writer Al Ewing looks back on an amazing run, the use of “data pages” (pages laid out like charts, diary entries, text message chains between characters, etc.), and working with a dream team. PG. 22

▼MEET RUBY SUNDAY

Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctor’s newest companion, talks about her favorite episodes, working with Ncuti Gatwa, and her excitement for series 14 of Doctor Who PG. 24

▲DAN STEVENS

▲A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

The next installment in the Quiet Place universe takes us back to where it all started. We chat with stars Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn as well as director Michael Sarnoski about exploring the day the world went quiet. PG. 42

The Brit star is having a cracking year with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Abigail landing this spring and Cuckoo on the way. We shot Stevens exclusively for the magazine and chatted through his illustrious career. PG. 54

House of the Dragon returns for an epic second season. To celebrate, Den of Geek has launched its very first split-run issue, one featuring Team Black and the other Team Green. We caught up with cast members on both sides of the Targaryen civil war for our cover story. Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen) and Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen) talk Team Black. Representing Team Green is the King of the Seven Kingdoms himself, Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon II Targaryen), as well as Ewan Mitchell (Prince Aemond) and Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen).

Through it all, showrunner Ryan Condal teases two major battles to come and one of the most horrifying moments in Game of Thrones’ history. Which side will you choose?

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CLASSIC HORROR AND INDIE BOOKS

Rhode Island’s newest comic shop, Black Lodge Collectibles, anchors Cranston’s arts community

COMIC SHOPS are like snowflakes. No two are alike, and Cranston, Rhode Island’s newest shop, Black Lodge Collectibles, draws on the wide range of experiences from its founders to establish its identity. “We make our own flyers in the aesthetic of a punk rock show,” says owner Derek Wood. Wood, along with co-owners Josh

BY JIM DANDENEAU

Marsie and Ian Fitzpatrick, opened the shop last year after Marsie and Wood co-hosted a podcast called “Absurd and Report” about the ridiculous, bizarre, and occult. They called on their diverse interests and experiences to stock the shop—they have new comics, obviously, but they also carry records

and classic horror VHS tapes. It was the classic horror that jumped off the shelves at first, to Wood’s surprise.

“When we first opened, we had a smaller VHS section, maybe a rack or two,” says Wood. “Since then, we’ve expanded it twice… horror VHS is almost impossible to keep on the shelves.”

PHOTO CREDIT: DEREK WOOD

Some of the comics and goodies you can find in Black Lodge Collectibles.

Wood has also been a collector for years, and his eclectic tastes are the foundation of their back-issue collection. When Wood looks for stock for the store, he’s not looking for piles of 9.8 graded New 52 books. “A lot of indie stuff from the late ’80s, early ’90s, a lot of the Canadian indie stuff, real weird back issues like Samurai Squirrel, Hamster Vice, just really strange, obscure indie stuff sells incredibly well,” according to Wood. “With [Black Lodge’s] back issues, it’s more of a curated blend of cool comics that spoke to me over the years. [I treat them] how a DJ likes to share his music tastes with other people. I’m kind of trying to create a DJ mix of comic books, where it’s literally something for everyone.”

The biggest draw seems to be Black Lodge’s art gallery nights. As one might expect from a coastal New England town, Cranston has a pretty happening arts scene, and Black Lodge makes a conscious effort to make time and space for local artists. And not just comic artists: Black Lodge hosts a mix of pop art, fine arts, and local comic creators for afterhours gallery shows. “One of our first gallery nights was basically an homage to retro video game covers, where we had an artist come in and do blown-up, hand-painted, PlayStation One, Sega Genesis recreations of the

video game boxes,” says Wood. “And then just [a couple of] months ago, we had a local comic book artist who publishes [and] distributes their own comics come in and do an art gallery and feature month.”

Anchoring the shop in the community is the goal, not just with their neighbors but with the broader southern New England comic shop community. “I’ve been in Rhode Island collecting actively for a decade,” Wood tells us. “So I’ve been visiting as many comic book shops in

WHEN WE FIRST OPENED WE HAD A SMALL VHS SECTION. NOW HORROR VHS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ON SHELVES”

BLACK LODGE OWNER DEREK WOOD

the area as I can. I’m trying to make friends with the owners just by being there so much in a couple of circumstances. One of [the owners] messaged me the other day. One of his customers had some [Golden Age] books stolen… and we were able to connect so we can keep an eye out if

anyone tries to come in [with them]. It was really nice for us to reach a new level with these comic book shop owners who have been in business for so long, considering us part of the family.”

Black Lodge’s inventory is such that a customer should expect to never have the same back issue experience twice, and that, to Wood, is what keeps people coming in. “I’m trying to put together the older Frank Miller Robocop comic series from Avatar,” he says. So if you’re ever in Rhode Island and you feel like digging for gold, you know where to go.

Black Lodge Collectibles is located at 1986 Broad Street, Cranston, RI. If your shop does something unique or interesting, tweet us @DenofGeekUS

Black Lodge Collectibles owners Derek Wood, Josh Marsie, and Ian Fitzpatrick

MIXED EMOTIONS

Director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen map out the expanding emotional landscape of Inside Out 2.

WHEN WE LAST left Riley Andersen, the young protagonist of Pixar’s 2015 animated classic Inside Out, she was 12 years old, and her still-developing mind was finding a way to balance all the core emotions of childhood, including Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. Nearly a decade later, Pixar is returning to the vast territory inside Riley’s mind as she turns 13 and enters adolescence with Inside Out 2, grappling with new emotions, changes to her psyche and body, and

BY DON KAYE

challenges both in her inner mind and the outside world.

With Inside Out director Pete Docter kicked upstairs to run Pixar since making the first film, the development of Inside Out 2 fell to a team led by longtime Pixar story supervisor and newly minted director Kelsey Mann and returning producer Mark Nielsen (promoted from associate producer). Not only did Mann face the pressure of coming up with a sequel to one of Pixar’s most beloved films, but he was

Joy and Sadness explore the landscapes inside teenage Riley’s (voiced by Kensington Tallman) brain.

also looking at the creative challenge of developing the idea for Inside Out 2 from essentially a blank slate.

“At the time, [Pete Docter] didn’t have a pitch as to what he wanted to do, but he thought I’d be a good person to go off and think about if there was a story to tell,” says Mann via Zoom ahead of the film’s release.

“Another reason I love working with Pete is because he allows me to bring myself to the project versus telling me, ‘I want it to be about this and that, and I want you to direct it.’ He was like, ‘It’s open. Riley could be any age. It could be about anything. It’s really up to you.’ So I started with that.”

Mann knew early on that he wanted

to revisit Riley as a teenager—not just because he was once one himself, but because at the time he was developing Inside Out 2, he was (and still is) raising two teenage daughters. Meanwhile, with three girls of his own—two of them teenagers and one of them the same age as Riley in the film—Nielsen says that real life and the creative

process found themselves aligned.

“It’s a front row seat,” Nielsen jokes. “As we were making this movie, as we’re doing research, every day coming to work, as we’re engaging with the subject matter and these emotions, you go home or you wake up in the morning, and there are those emotions showing up in full force because they come on strong at this age.”

MEET THE NEW EMOTIONS

In addition to setting the story on the cusp of Riley’s teen years, Mann knew from the outset that he wanted to introduce new emotions to the story—but wasn’t sure which ones to explore. “I remember meeting with Dacher Keltner, who’s a professor over here at Berkeley and our emotional expert on the first film,” Mann recalls. “I brought him in and I said, ‘Which emotions show up at this age?’ Dacher said, ‘It’s all about the self-conscious emotions—the ones that start to compare yourself to others.’ And that really resonated for me because I looked at my own life and what I went through when I was a teenager.”

The emotions that Mann eventually settled on were Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment. “You’re suddenly self-aware; you’re incredibly selfconscious,” he says—from personal experience—about Riley’s new feelings. “You start to look at yourself and see nothing but flaws. That was something I started to deal with at that age—and I still do. It’s still something I learned to manage. But it’s definitely something that is a big thing at that age. So I knew that the new emotions should be about, like, fitting in and not knowing whether you do or not.”

With Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, and Phyllis Smith returning to voice Joy, Anger, and Sadness respectively (along with Liza Lapira and Tony Hale replacing Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader as Disgust and Fear), the production team set about finding fresh actors to voice the new emotions, landing on Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, Ayo

Left: Core emotions Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) meet new emotion Anxiety (Maya Hawke).

Edebiri as Envy, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.

“I wanted a division between the original emotions and the new emotions,” says Mann. “I think it was Amy Poehler who said they’re like the Gen Z emotions coming in. So I wanted to make sure that the new emotions who came in understood what Riley was going through now that she’s a modern teenager.”

CHANGES INSIDE AND OUT

On top of introducing new emotions, the world inside Riley’s mind—which undergoes extensive renovations in the story—was also expanded to include visualizing concepts such as beliefs. “What’s so cool about this world is we’re able to take complicated things that we all have in common but don’t have a visual vocabulary for [and show them]. A good example from the first film would be memories,” says Mann, recalling the glowing, colored orbs.

“Now that Riley is a teenager, a big part of what goes on at that age is you start to become who you are as an individual, and part of that is you start forming your own beliefs,” the director continues. “I’ve got a belief

I THINK THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS ANYONE WHO HAS EMOTIONS. LIKE THE FIRST FILM, THIS ONE IS FOR EVERYBODY.”

PRODUCER MARK NIELSEN

system, you’ve got a belief system, what does it look like? I’m excited about what we came up with because not only is it someplace really beautiful, but it looks amazing on the screen, and it’s really emotional too.”

While the changes both inside Riley’s head and in the outside world required new designs for the production team, the ongoing march of technology in animation meant that it wasn’t easy to just recreate elements from the first movie, such as the original characters or the look of Headquarters, the operational center of Riley’s brain.

“You’d think we could just go make another movie because didn’t they build all that nine years ago for Inside Out?” says Nielsen. “Well, the answer

is no. Technology has marched on. We are not using technology at Pixar that can make Joy anymore. The shading and the lighting and all that had to be completely done all over again from scratch, using new technology, but making it look like the character that you remember seeing from the first movie.”

While the tech to bring Inside Out 2 to life has changed, and while the character of Riley is meeting a whole new range of emotions and life experiences for the first time, one thing that Nielsen says hasn’t changed is the universal appeal of this story, which touched so many viewers so deeply the first time and which he and Mann hope to recapture again.

“I think the target audience is anybody who has emotions,” says the producer. “It was so important to us that we create a universal story with this one. There’s so much fun to be had exploring what is going on inside our heads. Riley in this film could be you. It could be me. She’s experiencing emotions in this film that everybody in the audience is going to relate to. So, like the first film, I think this one’s for everybody.”

Inside Out 2 opens in theaters on June 14.

Meet the newbies, L-R: Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Anxiety, Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).

AMANDLA STENBERG

The

Force is strong with the star of new live-action Star Wars show

The Acolyte.

BY JOHN SAAVEDRA

1

Amandla Stenberg began their career as a catalog model at age four before moving to commercials. At age 13, they made their feature film debut in Colombiana, in which they played the younger version of Zoe Saldaña’s protagonist. Their big break came a year later when they played Rue in The Hunger Games.

2

Stenberg was born in Los Angeles in 1998 and is African American and Danish. They are named “Amandla” after a Miles Davis record. Stenberg says it means “power” and “strength” in Zulu.

3 On top of their starring roles in 2018 teen drama The Hate U Give and 2022 horror comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, Stenberg co-wrote the comic book series Niobe, and also released two EPs as part of the folk-rock duo Honeywater.

4

Stenberg will next star in the The Acolyte. “My whole life is Star Wars,” they told Den of Geek last year. “I wake up, and I think about Star Wars. I watch Star Wars before I go to sleep. I read Star Wars. I listen to Star Wars podcasts. I’m just so excited!”

5 The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland raves about Stenberg’s “work ethic, devotion, fandom, [and] how much they threw themselves into this role… They surpassed all of my expectations, both from a dramatic point of view as well as an action point of view,” she told us.

RETURN OF THE SITH

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland shows us a side of Star Wars’ greatest villains that we’ve never seen before.

BY JOHN SAAVEDRA

“AT LAST, WE WILL REVEAL ourselves to the Jedi. At last, we will have our revenge,” Darth Maul says to his shadowy Sith master in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 25 years after that prequel film set the stage for the rise of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, the new live-action series The Acolyte will show us the origin of the Sith plan to destroy the Jedi once and for all. That story actually begins 100 years before the prequel trilogy, when the Sith were thought to be all but extinct.

Heading up the Disney+ show billed as a “mystery thriller” is Leslye Headland, creator of the brilliant Netflix series Russian Doll, about a woman stuck in a time loop that kills her each and every go around. The protagonist of The Acolyte, a character named Mae, played by rising star Amandla Stenberg, is a padawanturned-warrior trapped in a different kind of loop, the oldest one in the galaxy far, far away: the never-ending war between the light and dark sides of the Force. That eternal struggle is baked into the show’s protagonist.

“The character of Mae was rooted in a very early idea I had, even before we had her character, which was: do the Jedi have a monopoly on the Force? Or are there Force users that exist in the galaxy, who are either dealt with and disposed of, or do they have to keep themselves hidden? Are they good guys or bad guys?” Headland explains to Den of Geek when we catch up with her over Zoom.

We know very little about Mae— while we see her trying to kill CarrieAnne Moss’ Jedi Master Indara with a dagger in the trailer, it’s unclear whether she’s actually the Sith acolyte in question. Headland coyly describes Mae’s motivations as “personal.” What we know for sure about her is that she was trained as a Jedi by Master Sol (Squid Game’s Lee Jung-jae) until she left the Order; that she’s now tied up in a murder investigation led by Sol and his apprentice, Jecki Lon (Logan’s Dafne Keen); and that all points eventually converge on the Sith.

IN LIVE-ACTION, YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE SITH AS THE UNDERDOGS… IT SEEMED INTERESTING TO EXPLORE THAT.”

LESLYE HEADLAND

While this is not the first time we’ve seen secret Sith machinations against the Jedi on screen, in terms of liveaction, The Acolyte takes the deepest dive into their mythos ever. Headland describes the series as “an expansion of Sith ideology.” What was it about the bad guys that captivated Headland so much as to pitch an entire show around them? It all goes back to unanswered questions from The Phantom Menace.

“There are certain things that happened in the prequels about the

Force-wielder Mae (Amandla Stenberg) is on a mysterious mission. Inset: Jedi Master Indara (CarrieAnne Moss) prepares for combat.

Sith and about Darth Maul, and the Jedi’s understanding of them, that I found intriguing,” Headland explains. “Qui-Gon on Tatooine immediately knows that Darth Maul is a Sith from fighting him and then reports that to the [Jedi] Council. Yoda knows about the Rule of Two; he says there’s always a master and an apprentice. So, while they’re considered extinct, there was a bit of knowledge about the Sith that I felt would not have come from ancient history. To me, it felt like to know that information that quickly, it would have had to have been in the last 100 years.”

That’s a jaw-dropping observation from a lifelong Star Wars fan and creator who has clearly thought deeply about the movies and established lore that inspired this show. Chatting with Headland about Star Wars is delightful: she takes her time with each answer and is as precise as an X-wing targeting computer when digging up the most obscure references to canon and old Legends lore. In fact, fans tuning into the show should expect a few nods to deep-cut lore from the franchise’s past.

“I really toyed with utilizing Darth Bane or mentioning Bane. We don’t do it in the first season, but it is obviously the legacy of these practitioners of the dark side,” Headland says with a laugh when asked whether the show will see the live-action debut of Palpatine and Maul’s Sith forefather. “While we don’t get into that particular lore, there were some things in Legends that I wanted to drag out because I felt they were really interesting, not only to the storyline but to myself as a fan. I thought, ‘Well, I’d love to do that.’”

One particularly exciting reference was beloved 2004 video game Knights

of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, specifically the story’s main villain. “Darth Traya really stuck out to me as an inspiration,” Headland says.

Like the now non-canon Knights of the Old Republic, The Acolyte isn’t just technically a prequel to the prequel movies, but also the first live-action series set during the High Republic era—a period of relative peace for the galaxy and a golden age for the Jedi Order when any remaining Sith are in hiding. The High Republic era was introduced in 2021 as the setting of a new line of Star Wars books and comics set hundreds of years before the films.

“There were two reasons I wanted to set it in that particular time period… One, I didn’t want to mess with any canon,” Headland says. “The other thing that I loved about this period was the lack of legacy characters. I was too nervous to take them on, but also, I feel like we’ve seen a lot of that. It felt like a sandbox that I could easily jump into.”

So, don’t expect Yoda to be running around in this series, although High Republic fans will recognize one character from the books: Vernestra Rwoh, played by Headland’s wife, Rebecca Henderson. In the books, she is a teenager still learning the ways of the Jedi, but in The Acolyte, Vernestra is a full-fledged Jedi Master.

“She gives you a sense of how the Jedi have really changed,” Headland says. “They’re still the guardians of peace in the galaxy, but there’s stuff on the horizon.”

The Acolyte shows the galaxy on the cusp of a vibe shift at the very end of the High Republic era; the corruption that will see the Sith infiltrate the Galactic Senate in Menace is just about to set in. At this point, though, the Jedi still have the upper hand, a setup that felt “ripe for a storytelling map,” says Headland. “In live-action, you haven’t seen the Sith as the underdogs, as wildly outnumbered by the number of Jedi that are in the universe. It seemed interesting to me to explore that.”

We know there’s at least one Sith lord in the eight-episode first season, but we don’t yet know who is under the creepy, toothy helmet teased in the show’s trailer. Is it Darth Plagueis the Wise, the master who taught Palpatine everything he knows? Or someone we haven’t met before? The dark side still clouds everything, but we do see this powerful villain single-handedly take on a whole group of Jedi Knights, including Master Sol, and blow them away with the Force. He’s no underdog as he ignites his red-bladed lightsaber, ready to show his adversaries that they have seriously underestimated the Sith. The Jedi are in trouble.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4.

A menagerie of mutants feature

X-CEPTIONAL FAREWELL

Ahead of the release of the 700th issue of Uncanny X-Men, which will say goodbye to the current X-Office of creators, writer Al Ewing looks back at what made the Krakoa era so special.

BY JIM DANDENEAU

AS MARVEL TRUE BELIEVERS

will tell you, writer Al Ewing’s style is a fascinating synthesis of six different comics traditions. He has the bombast of Jack Kirby at his Kirbyest, the taste for the occult of Grant Morrison, the unrestrained imagination of Jim Starlin, the visual language of Alan Davis mixed with Christopher Priest, and the methodical formalism of Jonathan Hickman.

Ewing started his career on 2000 AD books before quickly finding himself

in the Marvel stable. After a run on The Ultimates and giving Bruce Banner’s world a fresh coat of paint in Immortal Hulk, Ewing joined the X-Office to write several books, including X-Men Red and Resurrection of Magneto. Now, as Marvel prepares to release X-Men #35, the milestone 700th issue of Uncanny X-Men that’s also a farewell to the Krakoa story that has driven the X-line for the past five years, Ewing is looking back on his time with Marvel’s merry mutants.

“I’m always glad to hear that the whole era went down as well as it did,” Ewing says over Zoom, summing up his time on X-Men comics. Only two creators—Gerry Duggan and Ben Percy—have been on the Krakoa team longer than Ewing. Shortly after Jonathan Hickman pitched the revolutionary House of X/Powers of X event books that kicked off the Krakoa era in 2019, Ewing was brought on to tackle the biggest continuity swing from the relaunch. “I was [at a 2020

on the main cover of X-Men #35 (Uncanny X-Men #700) from Pepe Larraz.

writers’ retreat in Chicago] as somebody who would be putatively writing a Moira X book,” says Ewing. But the book that would have fleshed out the X-Men’s new immortal-ish nemesis never materialized, so Ewing pivoted to building links between the X-Universe and the larger Marvel cosmos in a series called S.W.O.R.D

As part of his entry into Krakoa, Ewing was also invited into what will likely, in retrospect, be seen as the greatest strength of this collection of comics: the X-Slack, where Hickman’s team of creators workshopped their Krakoa stories.

“When comics history gets around to recounting this, I think there’ll be a lot of stories told of how good that room was,” Ewing says. It was the X-Slack that helped him hammer out his initial S.W.O.R.D. story, taking it from a top-level idea that Ewing describes as “What if [half-alien, halfmutant secret agent] Abigail Brand is exactly who she always was?” and molding it into the character piece that, when all was said and done, ended up being arguably the definitive character piece for Storm, Magneto, and to a lesser extent, Apocalypse.

The plan is never, of course, to write the Storm story or the Magneto story, but Ewing says he had the sketch of the ideas for them in his head early on. Back when the office was planning Planet-Size X-Men (which covered the terraforming of Mars and the scenesetting for X-Men Red), Ewing says, “Gerry [Duggan, writer of Planet-Size] was like, ‘What do we want to put on Mars?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I need one thing… my thinking was that Magneto would retire from Krakoa, because he’d been through so much.’” And so Magneto’s Autumn Palace was planned from almost the minute Mars was conceived as the new mutant planet, which sowed the seeds for his heroic death in battle with Uranos in the Marvel crossover event AXE, and set up his seminal character study in Resurrection of Magneto. Giant redwoods from small seeds.

Through his work on the X-Men books, Ewing was also part of the team that helped popularize a new language for comics storytelling. During the Krakoa era, the X-books embraced “data pages”—prose pages laid out like charts, diary entries, text message chains between characters,

wanted posters, gossip columns, and even galaxy-wide alerts, among other examples—as an innovative new way to tell comic book stories. Ewing has used data pages to great effect in his X-books as well as Immortal Hulk, and he is elated to see the concept spreading across the industry. “I was just flipping through recent Doom Patrol issues [and] they spoofed [data pages] over the issue!” Ewing says. “It’s in the consciousness, and that’s great because I love it when new comics vocabulary appears.”

NOTHING IS FOREVER IN COMICS, BUT I DO THINK THIS [GROUP OF CREATORS] WAS UNIQUE… IT WAS A GREAT RIDE.”

— AL EWING

The writer believes that many of the ideas introduced in the Krakoa era of X-Men will resonate throughout the medium for years to come. “There isn’t a single facet of Krakoa that I don’t in my heart of hearts believe that five, 10 years down the line, some writer will be reading over what we did and go, ‘Oh man, I can use that,’” he says. “Nothing is forever in comics, but I do think this [group of creators] was unique.”

For now, Ewing is getting one last hurrah with his X-team in the 700th anniversary issue alongside legendary creators from X-Men’s past, such as Chris Claremont and Walt Simonson. But what’s next for the X-Men after that? Ewing is confident the transition to the next era of mutant stories— appropriately titled From the Ashes, as it picks up after the destruction of the mutant nation of Krakoa—will be a smooth one. “It was a great ride, [and] I’m sure the next X-Office will have great stories, too. I’m certain of it.”

X-Men #35 hits stores on June 5.

Left and below: variant covers by Ben Harvey and David Marquez.

MEET RUBY SUNDAY

Millie Gibson introduces her “feisty and optimistic” Doctor Who companion.

BY AMANDA-RAE PRESCOTT

EVERY DOCTOR INVITES A friend or two along for the cosmic joyride in the TARDIS. Ruby Sunday received her invitation at the end of “The Church on Ruby Road,” and now she’s back for series 14.

Millie Gibson speaks to Den of Geek magazine about Ruby Sunday’s adventures with the Fifteenth Doctor and what fans can look forward to this season.

DEN OF GEEK: Were you a fan of Doctor Who before you received the casting call?

MILLIE GIBSON: I used to watch the show when I was younger with my dad, so that’s special. He was excited when I told him I got the audition. I rewatched a lot of David Tennant and Matt Smith-era shows to prepare because they’re so nostalgic and comforting. I remember watching these episodes and thinking, “God, if I don’t get this part, I’m never going to be able to watch this show again because I’m going to be so bitter!” It was a blessing that I got the role.

What three words would describe Ruby Sunday’s personality?

Feisty, optimistic, and hot.

How does Ruby’s relationship with the Doctor develop throughout the season?

Ruby and the Doctor have not clicked in the Christmas episode, but it’s so beautiful how they’re already having banter and that connection. They’re very, very protective of one another. I believe the Doctor knows that she’s a little bit feisty, and it kind of intrigues him, and she challenges him. Ruby isn’t a damsel in distress figure. She’s like, “Come on, we’ll do this together.

It’s fine.” They’re just two best friends traveling the universe, and it’s so much fun. Russell (T Davies, showrunner) incorporated matched and clever humor for Ruby and the Doctor.

If Ruby had an extra chance to decide where the TARDIS should go, where would she want to go? I believe Ruby is so selfless and would want to include her family in an adventure. She’s not like me. I think she’d bring her nan along and be like, “Cherry, where do you want to go?” It’s possible Ruby would want to see Cherry’s past and the shenanigans she got up to.

What was your working relationship with Ncuti Gatwa?

My relationship with Ncuti is so similar to the Doctor and Ruby. I don’t believe he realizes how incredibly talented he is. He just brings a whole new spark, and it’s just this effervescent buzz that he has, his charisma and energy. He’s magic as the Doctor, and he brings such a new energy to the show that everyone follows behind him. I believe that’s why Russell picked him to lead this Disneyfied generation of Doctor Who.

How did you find working with

Russell T Davies?

Russell is a genius. I’m sure he already has ideas for the show in 2030. Every time I read one of his scripts, I’m entranced. It’s almost like reading a book where you can just imagine everything, and the words just lift off the page. It’s cool to get a text from him saying how good a scene I just filmed is.

Which guest stars this season were you the most excited to work with?

Oh my gosh, there are so many. Golda Rosheuvel, who guest stars in the first episode, “Space Babies,” was a breath of fresh air. I’ve watched her in Bridgerton, and on set she was very gracious and gave me a lot of advice and warm words. There’s also the amazing Jinkx Monsoon playing the villain in the second episode, “The Devil’s Chord.” I mean, every day I worked with Jonathan Groff on the sixth episode, “Rogue,” set in the Regency Era, I told him he was amazing. Indira Varma also guest stars in “Rogue,” and her humor is unmatched. She had such a quick wit and mind for improvisation. It was so nice to just learn from her and absorb all of her knowledge like a sponge.

I BELIEVE THE DOCTOR KNOWS THAT SHE’S A LITTLE BIT FEISTY, AND IT KIND OF INTRIGUES HIM, AND SHE CHALLENGES HIM.”

What Ruby-specific episodes or scenes do you want fans to look out for?

In “The Devil’s Chord,” Ruby plays the piano. I have such a special place in my heart for the fifth episode, “73 Yards.” It was the first thing I filmed, and Russell T Davies has given me a

gift to act with that. Ruby has a hard time in that episode, but I hope everyone has the same “Oh my God” reaction I have.

Will we ever find out who Ruby’s mother and Mrs. Flood are?

As the season goes on, we start to piece bits of the puzzle together. Ruby and the Doctor are both lost children, so he wants to help her find her parents as well and find out where she came from. The Doctor is just as intrigued as the audience. Mrs. Flood is there, and you’ll get to know her. I have so much fun reading the online theories about Mrs. Flood.

Doctor Who series 14 episodes are currently streaming on Disney+.

Above: Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) in the TARDIS. Left: Ruby in Regency era garb for episode “Rogue.”

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

The directors of Bad Boys: Ride or Die return to the last buddy-cop franchise standing.

BY DON KAYE

WHEN BAD BOYS FOR LIFE came out in January 2020, it ended a 17-year wait for the third film in the franchise, which launched in 1995 with Bad Boys and continued in 2003 with Bad Boys II. It’s only taken a relatively brief four-plus years to get the latest entry in the series, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, to the screen—but it’s been a tumultuous stretch, to say the least.

“The hope is definitely that everything will be a little bit smoother from now on,” co-director Adil El Arbi—returning to the franchise with directing partner Bilall Fallah after taking over for Michael Bay on the third film—tells Den of Geek ahead of the movie’s arrival. “Because also in those last four years, five years, we have learned so much. I think that we became better filmmakers.”

For starters, Bad Boys for Life unexpectedly became the top-grossing film of 2020 worldwide as the Covid pandemic shut down theaters just two months after the movie opened. Two years later in 2022, star Will Smith made worldwide headlines when he jumped onstage at the Oscars to slap host Chris Rock. That same year, El Arbi and Fallah saw their high-profile movie Batgirl canceled by Warner Bros. Pictures, ostensibly as a tax write-off.

Then, after Bad Boys: Ride or Die finally started shooting in April 2023— with Smith and co-star Martin Lawrence both back—filming was

shut down that July due to the actors’ strike, and the film was not officially completed until March 2024, just three months before the movie’s June arrival. Throughout the process however, Fallah says that their confidence in the movie and in themselves as filmmakers never wavered.

YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THE BAD BOYS BEING THE BAD GUYS. NOW THEY ARE THE CRIMINALS. NOW THEY HAVE TO HIT THE STREETS.”

BILALL FALLAH

“Even when we were making Bad Boys for Life, we felt there was still a story to tell,” he explains. “So we were very excited to see what would happen with these characters in the next movie. And with all our experience we had on Ms. Marvel [the pair directed two episodes and served as executive producers on the Marvel series] and our independent project Rebel, and coming back to working again with [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer and Will and Martin and Sony… the whole vibe felt much better now.”

Bad Boys: Ride or Die follows veteran

Miami detectives Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) as they investigate police corruption and end up being framed themselves, forcing them to work outside the law to clear both their own names and that of the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano).

“You’ve never seen the Bad Boys being the bad guys, so that’s the thing

that makes it so interesting,” says Fallah. “Now they are the criminals. Now they have to go away from the cops and hit the streets where they’ve locked up all the guys, all these criminals, and become part of them. All of this provides so much tension throughout the movie, and I think also some very hilarious situations.”

With Smith in career-rebuilding

mode and he and Lawrence teaming up for the fourth time as these characters, the directors are adamant that the two actors still brought their A-game and their improvisatory style to the project. “These guys are just timeless. What they have is magical chemistry every time you see them,” says Fallah. “For us as directors, it’s just a blessing to work with these guys because they have so much to give, so much material, that it’s tough for us to make decisions about what we’re going to keep and what we’re not. I think they’re the best duo in cinema history.”

They certainly seem to be the last men standing in the once-inescapable “buddy cop” genre that proliferated at one time in films including the Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour series. “In the ’80s and ’90s, there were so many of these movies; they were so popular and doing so well,” says El Arbi about the relative absence of the genre today. “So it’s a bit sad to see that you don’t have this anymore. At the same time, it’s good for us to be one of the last really—not only an action movie but

an action comedy. There are not a lot of comedies being made nowadays, and this is one of the best genres to see in a movie theater.”

“This is something new for [younger audiences] because they didn’t see it in the ’80s and ’90s,” muses Fallah about the continuing appeal of the Bad Boys franchise. “So it’s definitely refreshing. And it’s just also grounded. It’s real action. It’s set in Miami, so you’ve got the Miami flavor, you got the hip hop music, you’ve got the Latino music, all the cultural aspects that are now really popular are in this franchise.”

If Bad Boys: Ride or Die hits with those audiences the way Bad Boys for Life did, then ideas are already percolating for a fifth and even sixth Bad Boys film. “There are always multiple ideas in every direction,” says El Arbi. “It’s a Bad Boys movie, so we kind of know a little bit better what the audience wants to see or doesn’t want to see.”

Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens in theaters on June 7.

Left: Bad Boys Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reunite.Below: (L-R) directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi on set.

MARVEL’S BLOODY SUMMER

Jed MacKay ties together his Marvel stories in one big vampire crossover event called Blood Hunt.

BY JIM DANDENEAU

ONE OF THE JOYS of being a long-time comics reader is coming across ideas that are equal degrees clever and obvious. It’s safe to say Jed MacKay’s idea to pit Moon Knight, the avatar of an Egyptian god, against a vampire pyramid scheme is one of those.

We saw Marc Spector and his gang of misfits from the Midnight Mission take on an Instagram influencer-esque vampire (peddling eternal undeath instead of essential oils) making a play for control of New York at night, and it was great fun. Turns out, though, that it was also the start of something very big. “As I was doing that, I’m like, ‘well, this could be bigger,’” MacKay tells Den of Geek. “So we do dispense with it in Moon Knight, but it’s always thinking, down the line, if I need something to balloon into a larger threat, [I can] always come back to these vampires.

“And then a year or so later, Tom Brevoort emailed me to say, ‘Hey, we want to do an event based around vampires. What do you got?’”

What MacKay had was Blood Hunt, a five-issue event book tying different parts of the Marvel Universe into one mega-story where the vampires go on the offensive, led by an unexpected villain—the Dark Lord of Transylvania himself. “If I say to my friends, ‘Hey, I’m working on Dracula,’ they say, ‘Okay, great, it’s Dracula!’” MacKay says of his infamous big bad. “It’s like

putting Santa Claus in a comic. Everyone automatically knows what his whole deal is.” So, the next logical step was to throw a curveball and put Blade in charge of the vampire marauders.

The premise of Blood Hunt is that Darkhold magic suddenly springs forth from people associated with it (such as Cloak and Silhouette), darkening the skies and paving the way for a vampire assault. Heroes are attacked around the world—the Avengers at their orbiting starship base, the Impossible City, Doctor Strange in his Sanctum Sanctorum,

THE BLADE WE KNOW IS VERY COOL, VERY LACONIC. THIS BLADE SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT MORE BLUSTER, A LOT MORE BOMBAST.”

— JED MACKAY

Hunter’s Moon and Tigra outside the Midnight Mission—and overwhelmed by the empowered vampire forces. And the person leading them is none other than the slickest vamp in town. “The Blade that we see is very much not the Blade that we know,” MacKay says of Marvel’s foremost vampire

hunter. “The Blade we know is very cool, very laconic, just the coolest guy in the room… this Blade seems to [have] a lot more bluster, a lot more bombast. And I think that’s a lot of fun to work with.”

While we might want to self-censor, it turns out MacKay and his above-AList art team, Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia, don’t have to. For the first time, Marvel is running red band editions of their event books—uncensored, slightly expanded editions available only in comic shops, with the gore and horror cranked up to 11. “We’re seeing

Above left: Scarlet Witch and Iron Man witness the terrible effects of Darkforce energy. Below: Leinil Francis Yu’s variant cover for Blood Hunt #1.

Pepe really just cut loose and Marte really drenching it with blood,” MacKay teases. “You can’t put stuff [in the red band edition] that if the reader of the regular edition missed, it would diminish their reading experience. So this is bonus stuff.” For example, at the end of issue one, there’s a scene where Blade stabs Doctor Strange. “I’m doing the red band,” MacKay says, “and I’m like, ‘There’s probably room if you want to make that more gnarly, Pepe.’ And then, the red band edition came back with Doctor Strange cut in half. I was like, holy moly, okay.”

The Larraz/Gracia combo does so many things well, but the best thing is just how… big everything feels. Larraz’s comics history is littered with iconic imagery, whether it’s the sun setting behind Magneto in House of X #1 or any of his incredible Black Cat covers. He gets plenty of room to work here, too. “I’m very conscious of trying to keep the panel count low,” MacKay laughs. “Just his illustrations of The Impossible City, the Avengers HQ in issue one. It looks incredible, and it’s just Iron Man standing in a spot.”

Blood Hunt comes as the latest in a long chain of very successful Marvel events, and it turns out there’s a bit of internal Marvel continuity that helps with that. MacKay tells us, “Kieron Gillen [the architect of two of Marvel’s most recent successes] had a great document about how to do an event… and one of the big things is all the stuff that matters has to be in the main event series because there are going to be people who are just buying this main event series. And you need that to be a complete story.”

Of course, it’s superhero comics, so there’s always an “and then” attached to every story. MacKay’s got plans for what’s next, too. “If Blood Hunt is Secret Invasion, there’s quite a Dark Reign planned to come after it.”

Ominous words for the Avengers, Hunter’s Moon, Tigra, X-Men, Doctor Strange, and all the other characters MacKay’s steering into the Marvel Universe’s future. ”

Blood Hunt #2 is on sale now.

SUMMER SPOOKY SEASON

A paranormal pop culture primetime where specters scare up box office success.

THE DARKNESS ENVELOPED

AARON SAGERS

PARANORMAL

POP CULTURE

EXPERT

me, and despite the summer heat outside, the air in the building was cool. I sat in silence, intently focused, anticipating what would happen next, but not quite prepared. I tensed up upon seeing the spectral woman directly ahead of me. She silently floated, translucent and seemingly unaware—until at last facing me and lunging with a guttural growl as her face distorted into some horrific entity.

This memory is entirely true; it is a ghost story, but not one that took place in a haunted house. Rather, the setting was a haunted library, projected on screen in a movie theater during one of my many viewings of Ghostbusters

Released 40 years ago on June 8, 1984—the same day as Gremlins and three weeks after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Ghostbusters became a pop-culture phenomenon and box office juggernaut. Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis— inspired by Aykroyd’s own paranormal leanings and upbringing in a family with Spiritualist roots—the film gave the world Slimer, the iconic “no ghosts” logo recognized across the globe, and a theme song that remains

one of the most famous in movie history (and launched a franchise that made bustin’ feel good for two generations, and isn’t giving up the ghost, based on the performance of this year’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). And whether it was conscious or not, unscripted paranormal TV of the early 2000s was even influenced by Ghostbusters with the “we’re ready to believe you” mission statement and ghost-detecting gadgets, trading in Egon’s PKE meter for a K-II EMF meter for spook hunting.

Along with its lasting cultural impact, the June release of Ghostbusters highlighted how the audience’s appetite for ghosts is not relegated to Halloween. Rather, summer is a great season for a spooky ghost movie.

THE AUDIENCE’S APPETITE FOR GHOSTS IS NOT RELEGATED TO HALLOWEEN.

Movie theaters allow audiences to escape the hot sun for a few hours but can also serve up a concentrated dose of autumn. A trip to the cinema interestingly even mimics an excursion to a haunted house where we likewise might sit in silence in chilled darkness, absorbing the sights

and sounds around us, embracing the build-up of tension, and gorging on trick-or-treat/movie concession candy all the while. And what is the moviegoing experience but a larger scale community version of friends gathering together to share spooky tales whilst the storyteller’s face is illuminated by only a flashlight?

Yet Ghostbusters wasn’t alone in successfully serving up spectral scares during summer (and although it is a comedy, there’s most certainly freaky stuff in the movie, such as Dana’s armchair possession in her apartment, and that taxi cab ghoul that freaked me out as a kid). Nor was it the first.

Just two years before Ghostbusters’ release, Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s suburban ghost flick Poltergeist became a hit when it premiered in June 1982. And though it’s associated with the winter, Stanley Kubrick’s ghost film The Shining widely considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time—opened Memorial Day Weekend 1980, kicking off the sunny season.

In fact, in the last 50 years, many of the biggest films featuring phantoms

debuted during the Northern Hemisphere’s hottest months, from late May through August. What’s more, the trend is not limited to big-budget tentpole releases, and it extends across genres.

Along with Ghostbusters in the comedy category, the specters of summer have crossover appeal in romance (Ghost, July 1990); family fare (Casper, May 1995); animated films (Monster House, July 2006; ParaNorman, August 2012); adventure (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, July 2003). Plus, there are too many horror examples to count: The Amityville Horror, July 1979; The Blair Witch Project, July 1999; The Haunting, July 1999; The Sixth Sense, August 1999; What Lies Beneath, July 2000; The Others, August 2001; 1408, June 2007; The Conjuring, July 2013, and four of its seven subsequent sequels and spinoffs landed in the summer.

And these don’t even include summer blockbusters featuring notable ghost appearances, like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, The Lion King, and a few Harry Potter films. If one were to expand the definition to include other ghost-adjacent or supernaturalthemed (The Omen, June 1976) late spring releases (Pet Sematary, April 21, 1989) or some of the more profitable franchise entries of A Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th— including Freddy vs. Jason (August 2003)—the list increases of warmweather blockbuster boos.

Of course, great ghost stories simply resonate with audiences no matter what time of year they are released. But this paranormal pop culture pattern is too coincidental to deny. Regardless of whether people seek to escape the heat by experiencing a chill down their spine or perhaps they want to replicate a haunted house within the movie theater several months before Halloween’s spooky season, one thing seems about as clear as the apparitional librarian from Ghostbusters: spirits are likely to continue haunting the summer cinema for years to come.

Left: A smiling Rick Moranis looking up at Sigourney Weaver in a scene from the film Ghostbusters, 1984. Below: L-R Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as the Ghostbusters.

SAY WHAT?

Quotes of the month from Den of Geek

exclusive interviews

. PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK MORGULIS

“We have to hide in the past because the future feels so unimaginable.”

Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun on the cultural obsession with nostalgia and returning to familiar stories.

“THE ONE THING I AM MORE GRATEFUL FOR THAN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW IS MY NOSE.”

— Walton Goggins on playing the noseless Ghoul in Prime Video’s Fallout

“I GOT A SANDWICH FOR THAT… I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET A LOT MORE BECAUSE I KNEW SHE WAS INTO LATIN GUYS, BUT THAT’S ALL I GOT.”

— John Leguizamo on his first acting role in Madonna’s “Borderline” video.

“Two years of drama school to be upstaged by a cat.”

— Star Trek: Discovery star David Ajala on his feline co-star.

“OH GREAT, I CAN’T WAIT TO READ IT AND NEVER DO IT.”

— Jesse Eisenberg on his first reaction to being offered the chance to play Bigfoot in a movie.

“I don’t love being covered in blood because it’s made out of, like, caramel syrup, and it’s so sticky, but I guess I can’t stay away from it.”

“The great thing about the internet and social media is it gives everyone an opportunity to express themselves. And the terrible thing about the internet and social media is it gives everybody an opportunity to express themselves.”

— Leonard Maltin on social media film criticism.

— Samara Weaving on doing horror.

PHOTO BOOTH

Den of Geek took SXSW by storm this year. Check out some of the famous faces who came to visit our studio. PHOTOGRAPHY BY

NICK MORGULIS

1: Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin are finally back together for David Bushell’s documentary Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie 2: Nicolas Cage dropped by to talk about getting weird at the end of the world in post-apocalyptic Arcadian 3: John Leguizamo pays it forward by portraying a mentor and exemplary human being in Tracie Laymon’s Bob Trevino Likes It 4: Hunter Schafer stars in bonkers but glorious new horror movie Cuckoo 5: Director Pamela Adlon’s Babes was the comedy toast of SXSW. She joined stars Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau to discuss a movie about the morning (and pregnancy) after. 6: Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells go on the couple’s getaway from hell in I Don’t Understand You

The Dance of the Dragons is officially underway in House of the Dragon season 2, and it’s up to the next generation of Targaryens to fight their parents’ war. We spoke to the cast and crew about the big dragons and even bigger battles to come.

BY ALEC BOJALAD

BEFORE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON TWO BEGAN filming, showrunner Ryan Condal assembled the actors of the Game of Thrones prequel to view a simple slideshow. The subject of this presentation? Dragons, naturally. The dragon riders needed to get acquainted with their bonded beasts, as they’ll never actually meet them in the scaly flesh.

“These poor actors climb up on a saddle but they never interact with the creature they’re supposed to have this close bond with,” Condal says. “If you believe Westerosi historical propaganda, Aegon [II] and Sunfyre famously had the closest bond between dragon and human in history. It’s important for Tom Glynn-Carney as an actor to know what Sunfyre looks like.”

While the lesson was successful in introducing the new flying monsters to the cast, it came with an unintended consequence. It got some of them really hyped for the carnage to come. “When [my dragon] Moondancer came on the screen, I just screamed in front of all my colleagues. I had no chill,” says Baela Targaryen actor Bethany Antonia.

Fire and blood are in the air in House of the Dragon season two. The epic Targaryen civil war known as “the Dance of the Dragons” is now officially underway as the two sides of the family have aligned under either Team Black (supporters of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s claim to the Iron Throne) or Team Green (supporters of King Aegon II Targaryen’s claim).

Based on writer George R.R. Martin’s fictional historical tome Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon’s first season picked up nearly 200 years before the beginning of Game of Thrones. The Seven Kingdoms were, at the time, enjoying peace under the century-old Targaryen dynasty. But thanks to an unsettled matter of succession for the sickly King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), things are about to blow up into a continent-shredding civil conflict that will kill off most of the Targaryen’s precious dragons and set the table for the family’s ultimate collapse against Robert Baratheon, the Usurper King, in Game of Thrones Queen Rhaenyra has already lost a son, with Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) meeting the business end of his cousin Aemond’s dragon at the end of season one. The question thus lingering in season two (for those who haven’t read the source material at least) isn’t just, “Who else will die?” but rather, “Will there even be anyone left to sit on that Iron Throne after all of this?”

† THE DANCE BEGINS

For Condal, the proper arrival of the Dance of the Dragons meant a necessary increase in scale. “We can fit two Avengers films inside of our shoot schedule,”

The House of the Dragon timeline differs slightly from the Fire & Blood timeline. Here are the major events leading up to the show’s Dance of the Dragons and their approximate dates AC (or “After Aegon’s Conquest”).

Above, from top: Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) with her sons Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi); Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), wife of King Aegon II.

he says. They can also, it turns out, fit in two of the biggest battles this franchise has ever seen. “The battles are episodes unto themselves,” Condal adds. “We have two of the largest sequences that we’ve ever filmed on House of the Dragon. Both of them outstrip anything that we did in season one. They are episodes within episodes.”

Even at the height of its budgetary powers, Game of Thrones only ever had three dragons to contend with in the form of Daenerys Targaryen’s “children”—Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. House of the Dragon has already introduced nine dragons in season one, and Condal has promised five more for season two, including King Aegon II’s Sunfyre and Baela’s beloved Moondancer. That potential for aerial action opens up the scope for House of the Dragon’s combat immensely.

But even with all of the spectacle to come, Condal and the storytellers are eager to keep the proceedings grounded in what really matters: the people. House of the Dragon season one followed two childhood friends, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke), who were slowly driven apart by societal expectations, misunderstandings, and good old-fashioned bad luck. The real tragedy at the core of season two is that this isn’t merely a clash between Rhaenyra and Alicent but the next generation of Targaryens as well.

“‘The kids,’ as I say—Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children—take center stage in this conflict. We put a lot of focus on them and their stories because it really does become about them,” Condal says.

Children are often doomed to fight their parents’ wars. Such is the case for the young guard on Team Black and Team Green (the sides are named after the black on Rhaenyra’s Targaryen banners and the preferred green of Alicent’s House Hightower). Rhaenyra’s Team Black includes Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon (Harry Collett), and her uncle-husband (yes, really) Daemon’s two daughters by his deceased first wife: Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell). Alicent’s crew consists of her three children with the now-dead King Viserys: eldest son King Aegon II (Glynn-Carney), scheming and capable second son Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and Aegon’s spacey sister-wife Helaena (Phia Saban).

“There are plenty of examples of generational conflict going on in the world,” Condal says, pointing to The Troubles in Northern Ireland as an example. “As you go on through the generations, it just gets worse and more entrenched. Because you don’t break bread with them. You don’t have a community with them. You don’t run into each other at the hardware store.”

† BACK IN BLACK

Of the two sides in the Dance of the Dragons, it’s Team Black that has the largest chip on their shoulders. Or at least that’s how the younger generation feels about it. “From Jace’s point of view, it’s Jace’s war now,” actor Collett says. “Because he’s lost his little brother over it. He is one of the characters that actually wants to be in the war.”

Though would-be monarch Rhaenyra is the driver of the Blacks’ efforts, Jace may be their most important player. Officially, his father is the deceased Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan). But Jace’s shock of black hair (which the actor cheerfully notes is particularly unruly this season) belies the truth that he’s really the bastard son of his mom’s affair with Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). As such, “the Strong heir” is eager to prove himself as a real-deal Targaryen. And what better place to do that than in a legendary Game of Thrones location: the North.

The Young Dragons

Get to know some of the new and (very) old dragons entering the dance.

SUNFYRE

Ridden by Aegon II Targaryen. Sunfyre is a gold dragon with pale pink wings. He produces golden flames and is described as one of the most beautiful dragons to ever live, befitting the king on the Iron Throne.

VHAGAR

Ridden by Aemond Targaryen. Originally ridden by Visenya Targaryen during the Conquest, Vhagar is believed to be one of the oldest creatures in the known world. She has grown to an enormous size that makes her particularly dangerous and acutely lonely.

DREAMFYRE

Ridden by Helaena Targaryen. Mainly blue with silver markings, Dreamfyre was originally the mount of Princess Rhaena a few decades after Aegon’s Conquest. The she-dragon’s name makes her a perfect fit for Helaena the Dreamer.

VERMAX

Ridden by Jacaerys Velaryon. Already seen in House of the Dragon season one, Vermax is olive green with pale orange wings. Vermax’s hatching and subsequent bond with Jace helped lay to rest the rumors of Jace’s bastard heritage.

MOONDANCER

Ridden by Baela Targaryen. One of the smaller dragons in the Targaryen retinue, Moondancer is still fierce. She is pale green with pearl-colored horns, crests, and wingbones.

97 AC

Rhaenyra Targaryen is born.

101 AC

The Great Council chooses Prince Viserys as King Jaehaerys I’s heir, establishing the rule of primogeniture.

“In season two, the family has already been divided and scattered to the winds,” Condal says. “People have to curry favor with the other lords and figure out who’s on what team. It’s nice because instead of just introducing 18 new characters, we follow characters who we already know going to these new places and meeting new people.”

At the end of season one, Jace was dispatched by his mother to Winterfell to meet with the enigmatic Lord Cregan Stark and to win the Northern banners to Rhaenyra’s cause.

“We filmed it on the backlot, so it wasn’t actually cold. There was lots of fake snow, though,” Collett says of Jace’s journey “north.”

While meeting with Cregan Stark (who is set to be played by Tom Taylor), Jace will have the opportunity to take in one of the known world’s Nine Wonders Made by Man.

“Seeing The Wall in person was quite surreal,” Collett says. “I think the fans are going to absolutely love seeing Jace in Winterfell with Cregan.”

While Jace is off breaking bread with the Starks in the north of Westeros, his two closest allies back at Dragonstone are trying to find their place in the Dance of the Dragons. The sisters Baela and Rhaena were introduced midway through House of the Dragon season one as the daughters of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell). With both their father and maternal grandparents (Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen) bound to Rhaenyra’s cause, they are fully committed to Team Black but still have some awkward history to work through.

“There’s a little bit of tension because of their separate upbringings,” says Campbell, who plays Rhaena. “Baela was raised with grandma and grandpa, and I was raised with stepmom and my half siblings. Rhaena feels quite a lot of resentment there.” Campbell’s onscreen sister, Antonia, adds: “For Baela, this war has created such a frantic sense of urgency and family loyalty. She’s had to grow up a lot quicker than anticipated.”

112 AC

Rhaenyra’s mother, Aemma, dies in childbirth. Aemma’s son, Baelon, dies a day later.

Above, left to right: Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) returns; Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), consults with Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell); King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) heads up Team Green.

† LEAN GREEN MACHINE

There is no “right” side in the Dance of the Dragons. As Condal puts it: “There are heroes and monsters that wear green and heroes and monsters that wear black in equal measure.”

Still, even the green-clad heroes and monsters in this story are well aware that most fans have taken a side, and it’s not theirs.

“All these people choosing Team Black are driving me insane,” Aegon actor Glynn-Carney says. “Just stop being so boring! You need a bit of spice in your life. You need some danger. You need some betrayal. You need some vileness.”

Danger, betrayal, and vileness are the name of the game for King Aegon II in House of the Dragon’s second season. Despite being named after the conqueror himself, Alicent and Viserys’ Aegon had no real designs on power. Aegon was so comfortable with Rhaenyra being Viserys’ chosen heir that he had to literally be dragged by his younger brother Aemond to his own coronation.

Now that Aegon I’s crown is on Aegon II’s head, however, he’s come to like the fit of it. “He takes pride in the fact that he’s upset the applecart,” Glynn-Carney says. “But he’s also at a point now where he really believes he should be king. Dad was just having a senile moment when he said Rhaenyra should be his heir. I think he fully believes that.”

With Aegon II sitting upon the Iron Throne, bearing Aegon I’s name, crown, and Valyrian blade Blackfyre, the Greens really should have this war wrapped up already. But as is often the case in Westeros, dragons are the great equalizer. And in Aegon’s case, he might have to concern himself with a dragon close to home: his own younger brother, Aemond.

“Although Aemond is the second son, he very much thinks that he should have been the first,” Mitchell says. “Aegon squandered his inheritance while Aemond lived with the maesters, trained with Ser Criston Cole, and became the baddest man in the Red Keep yard.”

113 AC

King Viserys I remarries to his Hand Otto’s daughter (and Rhaenyra’s friend), Alicent Hightower.

WE CAN FIT TWO AVENGERS FILMS INSIDE OF OUR SHOOT SCHEDULE.

- Ryan Condal

117 AC

Alicent wears a striking green dress to Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon’s wedding.

TEAM BLACK AND TEAM GREEN PITCHES

Green

1) PHIA SABAN (Helaena Targaryen)

“We are messier and more complicated and haven't been in therapy. I’m more interested in that than in duty and justice and stuff, if you know what I mean.”

2) TOM GLYNN-CARNEY (King Aegon II Targaryen)

“All these people choosing Team Black are driving me insane. Just stop being so boring. ‘We do things the right way.’ Oh, come on. You need a bit of spice in your life. You need some danger. You need some betrayal. You need some vileness.”

3) EWAN MITCHELL (Aemond Targaryen)

“I’m neither Team Green nor Team Black; I’m Team Aemond.”

Black

4) BETHANY ANTONIA (Baela Targaryen)

“We’re the nicest people. The Greens are so mean; they’re so cross to everyone all the time. And the Blacks are just chill.”

5) HARRY COLLETT (Jacaerys Velaryon)

“I don't even think Team Black needs a pitch. If you’re Team Green, I don't know why. We’re the rightful heirs. We’re decent people.”

6) PHOEBE CAMPBELL (Rhaena Targaryen)

“What we lack in style, we make up for in spirit. It’s a feisty bunch that I think are very underestimated.”

127 AC

Like his hero-turned-rival, Prince Daemon, Aemond Targaryen is the consummate second son. Burdened with the knowledge that he will likely never be king, Aemond sought a new way to etch himself into the hallowed history of his family. In season one, Aemond claimed Vhagar, the largest and most powerful dragon in the known world, all for the low cost of his left eye.

“One of the first things we talked about in the development stages of Aemond was the legend of the Cyclops in Greek mythology,” Mitchell says. “How he traded one of his eyes to Hades in order to see the day he would die. What would that do to a person to possess that extreme degree of self-certainty and belief? It’s scary, you know. Aemond scares me.”

Greek mythology is a strong influence on House of the Dragon. In addition to Aemond’s cycloptic inspiration, Condal points to the poet Homer as an example of how it feels to inject humanity into characters depicted solely by historians in Fire & Blood. The third Targaryen sibling on Team Green also finds Greek myth helpful. “It’s complicated for Helaena because she’s got this kind of Cassandra-like aspect to her. The curse is that no one will ever believe her,” Saban says.

As a Targaryen “dreamer” who’s gifted with seemingly supernatural foresight, Helaena gleefully spoiled upcoming plot points with her idle ramblings in House of the Dragon’s first season. Unfortunately for Helaena, there’s one event coming in season two that even she hasn’t seen coming. And like the Red Wedding before it, it’s a Game of Thrones event so diabolical that fans have developed a shorthand for it: Blood and Cheese.

“I remember reading it and just thinking, ‘Wow, George kind of outdid himself in his own George-ness,’ in terms of finding the awful depths of certain

Laenor Velaryon (allegedly), Laena Velaryon, Lyonel Strong, and Harwin Strong all die in “The Year of the Red Spring.”

127 AC

Aemond loses his eye and claims the dragon Vhagar at Laena’s funeral on Driftmark.

characters,” Condal says of the moment that will be depicted in season two in all its bloody and cheesy glory.

“It is not a feel-good story,” he adds. “As with the original Game of Thrones, there are moments of true hope and humanity that shine through the bleakness. But it’s almost the bleakness that makes those things at work worthwhile.”

† YOU WIN, OR YOU DIE

The splitting into Team Black and Team Green extended into the production of House of the Dragon season two, with both factions filming on different sets within the cavernous Leavesden Studios in England. “We might as well have been shooting two separate shows,” Glynn-Carney says.

Despite the separation, the cast resisted the call of tribalism, spending time with one another whenever the opportunity arose. In that, they’ve already learned an important lesson from the text. In the end, there is no Team Green or Team Black in the Game of Thrones universe. There is only Team Survival. Or, as Syrio Forel once put it: “There is only one god, and his name is death.”

Working on the second season helped clarify for Condal how much story there is left to tell in House of the Dragon. While Martin has previously estimated four seasons as the show’s lifespan, Condal only says: “We know where it ends now. We know the big set pieces that we have to pull off to get there. We know the remaining new characters that we need to cast.”

Keeping the story focused on the next generation of Targaryens and honing in on what it means for the young to fight our wars also crystallized what the Dance of the Dragons is really all about for Condal.

“I read it as a cautionary tale,” Condal says. “‘Look what this great dynasty that should have ruled for thousands of years did to themselves.’ They went to war against each other, killed off all the dragons and ruined their own greatness. If our present-day historians could do a better job of warning us against the things that we’ve experienced that we’re in danger of repeating, maybe, maybe we’d have a brighter future ahead.”

House of the Dragon season two will air on HBO from June 16.

127 AC Rhaenyra marries her uncle, Daemon Targaryen.

Below: Sisters Baela and Rhaena Targaryen (Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell) enter the Dance of the Dragons as part of Team Black.

132 AC King Viserys dies, and the Dance of the Dragons begins.

HOW NEW YORK WENT QUIET

Lupita Nyong’o as Sam and Djimon Hounsou as Henri in A Quiet Place: Day One.

After the first two movies followed the adventures of the Abbott family, A Quiet Place: Day One takes us back to the very beginning of the quietpocalypse. We talk with director Michael Sarnoski and stars Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn to find out more. BY CHRIS FARNELL

Meals eaten off lettuce leaves, walking barefoot on paths made of sand, furious arguments taking place entirely in sign language. A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II introduced us to a world of oppressive silence through the eyes of the people who had lived long enough to learn those lessons. It is a very different world to the one at the opening of A Quiet Place: Day One.

“There’s a lot more sound. We’re in New York, so as you can imagine, it is one of the loudest, most bustling cities in the world,” says Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Sam in the horror prequel. “That is what spoke to me about the premise. How does New York go quiet?”

The premise is a very sci-fi one, but we live in science fictional times, and living in New York in 2020, she had first-hand experience to draw from. “I definitely had that reference of hearing the birds in a city where you didn’t even realize there were birds,” she says.

But returning to Nyong’o’s question, the answer is: “New York goes quiet through a lot of people getting eaten.”

These New Yorkers are not the trained silent survivalists of the first two films.

“The characters not knowing the rules opens us up to exploring a lot more of that trial and error, and what it looked like for people to discover those rules,” says Michael Sarnoski, director of Day One. “It offered a lot of fun, dramatic situations to explore, and it doesn’t work out for all the characters. It’s a messy exploration, for sure.”

It sounds like a bigger, splashier film than previous entries in the series, and with a far higher body count, but Sarnoski still wanted to keep the story tightly focused on his lead characters.

“We aimed to increase the scope and

make something very large. That ended up not being the challenge,” he says.

“Our main goal was often to focus on our characters and what their experience was, going through this huge crazy event. So in many ways, it’s similar to making a tiny movie, filtering this story and this world through your characters’ eyes.”

That ability to mix violent events with softer character moments was one of the elements that Nyong’o enjoyed about the film.

“There’s a tenderness to [Sarnoski’s] work despite the brutal material,” says Nyong’o. I felt that when I watched

It’s a story of an invasion in New York City, so there are those big moments of slaughter and chaos you expect.

MICHAEL SARNOSKI

[Sarnoski’s previous film] Pig, the tenderness at the core of the thing… It is a really refreshing tone to add to what we already know of the Quiet Place universe.”

Meeting Sam and Eric

Our guides to this universe, this time, are Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a woman who is visiting New York for the day when the invasion happens, and Eric (Joseph Quinn), a perfect stranger whom she reluctantly has to join forces with to survive.

“[Eric] finds himself in New York City and meets Sam on the fateful day one of the invasion, and they spend the film navigating this new, quieter reality,” Quinn tells us. “I can’t give much more away because he’s a man of mystery.”

Despite the global scale of the threat, Sam and Eric help ground the story on a more personal level.

“It’s this story of an invasion in New York City, so there are those big moments of slaughter and chaos you expect,” Sarnoski says. “But on a character level, while the first two films were about a family relationship, people who knew each other and had an established relationship, this was a story about people experiencing this apocalypse who are strangers trying to figure this thing out together.”

For that story to work, the relationship between the actors was crucial. Fortunately, the pair hit it off right away. “She’s a wonderful person and actor, formidable, compassionate,” Quinn says of Nyong’o. “She has been incredibly helpful and generous with her time and her wisdom. That’s the

lovely thing about this game. You sometimes collide with someone on a job who’s a bit further down the road than you, and they can share what’s around the corner. Other than that, she’s just great fun.”

Nyong’o is equally effusive in her praise of Quinn, although she found him not quite what she was expecting.

“I absolutely adored working with Joseph Quinn. I had watched him in Stranger Things and, like the rest of the world, was taken with his presence and tenacious, wild, tender performance. So when I met him, and he was so not that character, that was a little jarring for me even as an actor. I can’t believe that I still expect people to be like the characters they play, but I kinda fall into that trap!”

She soon came to enjoy working with the real Quinn, however. “He’s very generous and courageous as an actor. He makes bold choices but is not married to them. He’s adaptable and just really fun to work with because he throws you all sorts of balls, so each take is something new.”

Of course, both actors might be less fond of their other co-star…

Making a Monster

They might not get much screen time, and even when you do see them, they are often little more than a terrifying blur, but the giant, bat-like monsters are the real stars of the previous Quiet Place movies. One of Sarnoski’s biggest challenges was making the monsters

feel real. While many filmmakers like to place a big emphasis on their practical effects, Sarnoski refuses to undersell the value of CGI in bringing these creatures to life.

“The film’s monsters are physically unique and a bit impossible to do practically. But we had amazing people at [VFX house] ILM who had a lot of experience bringing those monsters to screen and did an incredible job making these monsters extremely real and extremely terrifying,” he says.

This is great for the audience, even if it adds an extra dimension of challenge for the actors, but as Nyong’o points out, reacting to things that aren’t there has always been part of the job. “There are always a lot of invisible things happening on a movie set, whether it’s CGI-heavy or not,” she says.

Still, Sarnoski put a lot of work into making the monsters feel real on set. “A lot of making it feel real comes from giving actors the specificity to understand what’s happening and what their characters are going through,” he says. “You also end up doing a lot of sound effects.”

The director himself spent serious time with a microphone, making creature noises. “It would seem silly if anyone were listening to them, but it was helpful for the actors to give them something to react to,” Sarnoski says. “There was a lot of me or a person in a blue suit wandering around making scary noises. But I can make some pretty scary creature noises, so that was okay.”

Of course, for one member of the cast, this was not their first time facing off against CGI alien bat monsters.

The scale and the scope are bigger, and there’s a really surprising tonal shift to this movie—and that is a credit to John Krasinski’s intention of expanding what the genre can do.

Sam and Eric (Joseph Quinn) try not to make a sound as they face the franchise’s beasts.

Sam and Eric meet in New York City amid a monster-driven apocalypse.

“I can’t seem to shake off these monsters!” Quinn says. “It’s definitely a skill set I practiced on Stranger Things, and I could use those dance moves in a different disco.”

In this louder and (briefly) more populated world, we get to see a lot more of the monsters than we have before, but Sarnoski was keen to preserve their mystery.

“We learn and discover new things about the monsters as we go, but it is always a balance with these sorts of things. Half of what makes the monsters scary is the mystery. If you dissect them and break down everything that makes them tick, you lose that Jaws effect,” he acknowledges.

The Sound of Silence

The look of the monsters is only a part of the equation. At a time when filmgoers frequently complain about the sound mix, the Quiet Place movies are films you watch with your ears.

“Lee Salevan, our sound designer, not only created tons of sounds for these creatures, but also world sounds,” Sarnoski says. “This movie is set in NYC, an extremely loud place. Creating a bed of sounds for that before things go awry and after it empties out; that was a big thing. We talked about how these environments should change. You want to give a lot of attention to the sounds our characters make because every sound carries a lot of meaning.”

It was a challenge for the actors, too. “It reminded me of playing ‘the floor is lava’ when you were little,” Nyong’o says. “You have a specific limitation. The rule of the game is you have to stay quiet, and I enjoyed how that informed every decision. You can’t do anything naturalistically. Even running my hands over my head is risky business.”

Quinn agrees: “You’re only aware of how much noise you make and that life makes when it goes away. It’s such a brilliant cinematic conceit to watch in the cinema, where silence is a sanctuary, and when anything compromises that, it puts the characters in peril.”

But for Sarnoski, creating that silent soundscape was a lot more complex than simply turning the volume down. “Silence is tricky because you think, let’s just not play any sounds, but that doesn’t feel like silence,” he says. “It feels more like silence to have few but very specific sounds, like wind and someone’s quiet breathing. Case by case, we were deciding what sounds the tension of a given scene hangs on and how we precisely augment that.”

It is sure to be a wild adventure, but there are still many more stories that can be told in this world. “The scale and the scope are bigger, and there’s a really surprising tonal shift to this movie, and I think that is a credit to [original A Quiet Place star and creator] John Krasinski’s intention of expanding what the genre and this universe he helped to create can do,” Nyong’o says.

Sarnoski agrees, adding: “There are as many stories to tell in this world as there are human stories to tell.”

A Quiet Place: Day One opens in theaters on June 28.

FORGOTTEN GAMES THAT CHANGED GAMING 20 FORGOTTEN GAMES THAT CHANGED GAMING 20

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STORY BY MATTHEW BYRD ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHLOE LEWIS

may not know their names, but these largely forgotten games changed the gaming landscape forever.

1976

Death Race

1976/1977 Colossal Cave Adventure

Colossal Cave Adventure is more than the first adventure game. It paved the way for more open-ended games like the first batch of RPGs and invented now-common concepts such as cheat codes. Yet few people played this game in its day. By the time Zork came out in 1977 (and certainly by the adventure game boom of the early ’80s), Colossal Cave Adventure was already starting to feel like a fascinating footnote.

In the mid-1970s, developer Exidy was on the brink of financial collapse. Looking for a new product, it decided to modify its previous game (Destruction Derby ) with more horror elements that included the ability to murder gremlin-like characters. Death Race was the result.

Death Race’s violence earned it the kind of mass media attention video games rarely received at the time. You can draw a direct line between Death Race, games like Mortal Kombat, and the formation of the ESRB.

1983

NATO Commander NATO Commander tasks players with commanding NATO troops in Europe. Its use of concepts such as diplomacy made it stand out from similar strategy titles. Then again, the game’s “ahead of its time” status suddenly makes sense when you realize it was developed by none other than Sid Meier.

Years before he worked on the first Civilization game, Meier tested the water with NATO Commander. It’s easy to see the ideas that would later make Meier one of gaming’s most influential creators.

1984 THE TOWER OF DRUAGA

The Tower of Druaga was pitched as a fantasy version of Pac-Man with more traditional fantasy/RPG elements. Most notably, it featured a real-time combat system that allowed players to actively battle the creatures they faced rather than simply avoid or consume them.

Those mechanics proved to be significant. They inspired Japanese studios to develop revolutionary action role-playing games including YS, Hydlide, and, eventually, The Legend of Zelda. While this game has aged poorly, it was an undeniable light bulb moment for the industry.

1986 Starflight Binary Systems’ Starflight attempted to offer a “dream” sci-fi exploration experience complete with combat, diplomacy, and ship management. It’s a very ambitious game that was wellreceived in its day but was a victim of the limitations of its time.

Years later, though, BioWare would use advanced tech and a much larger budget to turn many of Starflight ’s best ideas into arguably its masterpiece: the Mass Effect trilogy. Starflight raised the bar for how ambitious a sci-fi game could really be.

1988

The Manhole

1988’s The Manhole looks like an early point-and-click adventure game, but was in fact an experimental title that encouraged you to explore a visually impressive world with little direction. It hasn’t held up well in most respects.

However, The Manhole was the first game from Rand and Robyn Miller, the duo that would go on to create Myst. It’s fascinating to look at The Manhole and see how the Miller brothers were already building towards something bigger. The Millers even later stated that Myst was the “adult” version of their previous works.

1985

LITTLE COMPUTER PEOPLE

Little Computer People didn’t generate much interest in 1985. Its “gameplay” was built entirely around guiding a digital character through the routine of their largely simple life. Who would play something like that?

Well, Will Wright, for one. The creator of The Sims cites Little Computer People as a direct inspiration for his work. He even consulted with Little Computer People designer Rich Gold while developing The Sims. Without it, we may have never gotten one of the most successful PC games ever.

1988

POWER DRIFT

Sega’s history is filled with innovative games that were eventually overshadowed by other projects. Even still, it’s shocking that Power Drift has been lost to time.

From the design of its vehicles to its drift-heavy tracks that emphasized speed, Power Drift is widely recognized as the first ever “Kart Racing” game. Yet, despite being well-received in its day, Power Drift was essentially rendered culturally irrelevant by the 1992 debut of Super Mario Kart. Perhaps Sega needed to put more of its famous licensed characters in this revolutionary racing game.

1989

HERZOG ZWEI

Herzog Zwei was a bit of a bomb in its day and only exists in the modern gaming landscape as an occasional

1991

CATACOMB 3-D

The early history of id Software is well-charted by gaming historians. The company got its foot in the door with Commander Keen before the innovative Wolfenstein 3D paved the way for Doom. Somewhere along the way, though, this 1991 game got lost in the shuffle.

Catacomb 3-D was id’s inaugural first-person shooter. It even utilized the same technology that the studio later used for Wolfenstein 3D. While it lacks guns, nearly every other aspect of this title looks, plays, and feels like id’s future games. It’s a lost gaming stepping stone.

1991 Neverwinter Nights

You’ve got to dig deep online to find a trace of what many consider to be the first proper MMORPG ever made.

Neverwinter Nights’ use of advanced visuals and refined social elements paved the way for games like EverQuest and World of Warcraft

Unfortunately, it was released when few people could properly play it online. By the time Neverwinter Nights was shut down in 1997, it already felt like a memory.

1994

KING’S FIELD

By FromSoftware, King’s Field is the spiritual predecessor to what we now know as the “Soulsborne” genre. Without it, we wouldn’t have games like Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Bloodborne

1998 Body Harvest

Grand Theft Auto III ranks high on any respectable shortlist of the most influential games ever made. It was a revelatory experience that forced you to look at other games a little bit differently. Part of the reason few people saw GTA III coming is that few people played the 1998 N64 game Body Harvest

2000 Alien Resurrection

In most console FPS games, the left analog stick moves your character around, and the right analog stick allows you to look around your environment. It’s the undisputed standard of the genre. However, that wasn’t always the case.

1994 Shariki

Few people played this puzzle game when it was released. If they had, they may have become hopelessly addicted to its deceptively simple gameplay, which tasks you with matching sets of three blocks to raise your score.

Inspired by some of the also forgotten puzzle games of the 1980s, Shariki was a direct influence on Bejeweled, one of the most successful puzzle games ever made. Under different circumstances, it could have been a Tetris-level hit.

From its traps and its Metroidvania layout to some of its core combat systems, King’s Field sometimes feels like a de-made version of a modern Soulsborne game. It’s certainly a rough draft of what was to come, and it’s incredible that FromSoftware was already working on ideas that would reshape the industry decades later.

Developed by DMA Design (later known as Rockstar North), Body Harvest is a 3D, open(ish)-world game filled with vehicles, weapons, and lots of digital room to explore. It’s not a great game in any traditional sense, but it was the well that Rockstar drew from when it set out to change the world just a few years later.

When Alien Resurrection was released in 2000, some reviewers dinged the title for featuring the aforementioned control scheme that helped facilitate the growth of the console FPS genre. It was the earliest title to make that layout the standard input option as well as the first notable console FPS title that was properly designed around those controls.

2003 Kill Switch

2002

THE MARK OF KRI

This 2002 action title could have been gaming’s next great franchise. That’s not how things worked out, but at least this game’s influence is still being felt.

The Mark of Kri allowed you to assign an attack button to multiple opponents in a 3D environment. It made managing melee targets in a 3D action game significantly easier and more enjoyable than it had ever been. The tweaks that Batman: Arkham Asylum and other games would make to this idea soon became the standard for modern action titles.

Kill Switch was built around a more active version of the cover fire systems seen in games like Metal Gear Solid and Time Crisis. It didn’t generate much buzz and was treated by many as a novelty.

Three years later, though, Gears of War would achieve blockbuster status by using a shockingly similar concept. Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski has since stated that Kill Switch was a major influence on his work, and numerous modern Triple-A studios now rely on variations of the cover fire system Kill Switch pioneered.

GEOMETRY WARS: RETRO EVOLVED

Geometry Wars started as a Project Gotham Racing 2 minigame. Two years later, though, developer Bizarre Creations decided to release a standalone version of Geometry Wars as an early Xbox Live Arcade title.

At a time when Microsoft was trying to convince gamers that digital marketplaces were the future, Geometry Wars made the argument for them. It was cheap, it was addictive, and it was one of the Xbox 360’s best launch titles. Geometry Wars helped kickstart a new age of digital distribution that paved the way for indie games.

Infiniminer

As a sandbox game that asked players to gather materials and craft objects in block-based environments, Infiniminer was Minecraft before Minecraft

The creator of Minecraft, Markus Persson, has made it very clear that Infiniminer was the biggest inspiration for that project. While Persson eventually explored numerous ideas not found in Infiniminer, the similarities are striking. Infiniminer creator Zach Barth has expressed mixed feelings about the way things played out but mostly seems excited that he provided the spark for the best-selling video game of all time.

Austin Butler leads the pack as Benny, a charismatic member of biker club the Vandals, in The Bikeriders

WE RIDE ALONG WITH DIRECTOR JEFF NICHOLS AND STAR JODIE COMER ON THE BIKERIDERS, A GREASE-SMEARED THROWBACK TO THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN WILD ONES.

BY DAVID CROW

For Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders’ long road trip began with a handful of photographs. Among them in grainy black and white was a lone figure, captured in blurred motion and with his head turned away as he zoomed across the Ohio River. The only clear details were the leathered texture of his jacket and the gleam flashing off his Harley’s steel. When Nichols first saw this image and many like it in 2003, he was in no way a motorcycle connoisseur. To this day, big bikes terrify him. But he instantly knew how the pictures—taken by New Journalism legend Danny Lyon between 1963 and 1967—made him feel. And he needed to express that sensation on screen.

“Photographs can lie to us,” Nichols says 21 years later on a sunny Texan morning. “They’re very romantic, and Danny’s photographs are romantic mainly because the people are. I mean, they’re beautiful with the hair and the bikes and the clothes.” They’re a promise, however misleading, about freedom and belonging to a tribe. Nichols recognized that allure from his own life. When he finally gained the courage to pitch a movie to Lyon, in fact, it was his own memories of growing up in the punk rock scene of Little Rock, Arkansas, that won the photographer over.

“In the mid-’90s, I was tangentially a part of that,” Nichols recalls. “My older brother was really into it, but there was a cool punk rock scene, and it started very much homemade, very much rough-hewn. It was just friends playing in bands, but then the punk scene [saw] Green Day coming into popularity. It became popular; it was no longer subculture.”

In the filmmaker’s mind, subcultures start from a basic truth: people need to belong to a group with their own rules,

aesthetic, and style. But eventually, “it grows into this bigger thing and becomes an affectation of itself. Like a snake eating its own tail.”

The Bikeriders is about the moment the snake’s fangs sink in. Intended as a fictional extrapolation of ideas in Lyon’s book, the film speculates on that ephemeral moment between when biker gangs transitioned from wanting to be Marlon Brando in The Wild One to becoming Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. It’s a character study about part-time tough guys like Johnny (Tom Hardy) and Benny (Austin Butler), whose biker club, the Vandals, dominate the road on the weekends and yet live long enough to see that club transform into something alien. It’s the death of a specific kind of American cool.

“The [Chicago Outlaws] split between the beer drinkers and drug culture of the ’60s,” Nichols says, referring to the

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer, who plays Kathy, with director Jeff Nichols on set of The Bikeriders.

real mid-20th century biker gang that The Bikeriders’ fictionalized Vandals are based on. “So what started as a social club, a reason for guys to get together and bullshit, and talk about bikes and drink, and do whatever the hell they wanted to do… metastasizes over the course of the ’60s.” The lifestyle went from a party to—in some instances—a criminal enterprise.

To capture that cultural shift he’s been chasing for more than two decades, Nichols has assembled a showy cast to populate the Vandals crew. There’s Hardy and Butler, but also Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and long-time Nichols collaborator/good luck charm Michael Shannon. Yet perhaps the most important player and true voice of the film— and with a thick Chicagoan voice at that—is Jodie Comer’s Kathy.

While photographs might lie, Comer’s Kathy never would. The film’s prologue even resembles a kitchen-table gossip wherein Kathy, a workingclass Midwesterner with a million stories and no regrets, tells a photographer (Faist) about how she’d met this guy named Benny at a bar. Afterward, he drove her home on his Harley and then camped outside her house for more than 24 hours—until she invited him in. “Five weeks later, I married him,” she boasts with pride. This anecdote is something the real Kathy said almost verbatim in an interview in Lyon’s book. And it was always clearly the voice of the movie.

Tony Award-winning performer saw a photograph of the real Kathy.

“I kind of immediately fell in love with her,” Comer tells us. “I can’t lie, she just felt like such a force of nature.” So much in the faded stills grabbed the star: the way that Kathy stood, the way she sat, the bright shade of red in her nail polish.

“When Danny was photographing her, and she was aware of it, there was almost a kind of coyness or a shyness of being in front of the camera,” says Comer. “A lot of the women in the photographs were so beautifully made up—meticulous hair and clothing—and with Kathy, her jeans were a little bit ill-fitted, and her hair was always messy, as if she got off the back of a bike. She had three kids, so I always felt it was as if the kids have had their fingers in her hair.”

“THERE’S SOMETHING VIBRATING UNDER THEIR SKIN THAT MAKES THEM UNDENIABLE. AUSTIN HAS IT, TOM HAS IT, JODIE HAS IT.”

–JEFF NICHOLS

Comer even saw something of her grandmother from Liverpool in this Midwestern hurricane. “My nan had this skill: she could tell you a story, and it would be the sixth time that she’s told it, but it would get more interesting,” the actress laughs. “It pulls people in, and I recognize Kathy had that quality.” Although, in the case of The Bikeriders, it meant trading in Comer’s distinctly northern English accent for something a lot more regionally specific—which Killing Eve fans might consider her stock in trade.

“She’s the most interesting one,” Nichols says. “We’re not doing anybody any favors. She’s fascinating because she’s both an insider and an outsider; she has access to this entire subculture, but she’s a woman.”

She also is the one character who is truly free in Comer’s mind, and that realization came to her the moment the

“They’re all so tricky,” Comer says of the accents she has become famous for sliding between. “The trick is to get so comfortable with it that you barely think about it, which is hard, especially when Kathy spoke so much. She had a lot of dialogue, so I wanted to get to a point where I wasn’t in a scene thinking about the placement of my tongue.”

According to her director, not only did she nail it, but even in pre-production, it reached the point where he

Director Jeff Nichols shares a laugh on set with star Austin Butler.

couldn’t tell the difference between Comer’s character and the audio recordings of the real Kathy that Lyon provided the production.

She also makes a terrific counterpoint to the film’s other stars, who in their own way are trying to play a part. Literally.

Tom Hardy’s seemingly ruthless leader of the Vandals, Johnny, is based on a guy who watched Brando in The Wild One religiously.

“He had these scrapbooks that he would keep, and Danny would photograph pages of the scrapbook, [which had] the TV Guide from when The Wild One aired on TV,” Nichols says. “So we recreated that in the film.” Hardy seized on the detail, modeling Johnny’s voice around the sound of a Chicagoan suburbanite doing a Brando

impression. Tellingly, too, Hardy also had a mantra he frequently muttered: “You can’t be half a gangster.”

Closer to the real thing, at least in terms of style if not crime, is Butler’s Benny, the guy so cool Kathy married him within two months. And that charisma is no put-on, according to the director.

“I think you’re about to see him play everything under the sun,” Nichols says of Butler, “because the truth is he is just a stone-cold movie star. They exist. They are real. There are not a lot of them, but they do walk on this earth, and he is one of them. And when he walks up and shakes your hand, you realize that you’re meeting one.”

And it’s not just about handsome good looks, the filmmaker insists. “That’s a misunderstanding of what it takes to be a movie star. There’s something vibrating under their skin that makes them undeniable. Austin has it, Tom has it, Jodie has it.”

Consider the titular bike riding in the film. While Comer laments that she was not allowed to ride any actual motorcycles—“I didn’t even get to wear leather!” she chuckles—she vividly recalls the evening she spent on a camera rig above the Ohio River. “I was on the back of [Butler and the rig] for insurance reasons… and we were having to play this really euphoric moment, and Austin was like, ‘I feel like a fraud!’” But that’s because, by the time cameras rolled, he had mastered riding antique Harleys without a helmet. That’s pretty impressive since, as Nichols tells it, he might have fibbed his way into the role.

“He wasn’t forthright about it,” Nichols smiles about the first meeting where Butler claimed he has a history with bikes. “He was like, ‘Yeah, we rode Spykes on Elvis.’ But at that point I hadn’t seen it, so I was like, ‘Well, that makes sense. I think Elvis rode motorcycles.’ And then [stunt coordinator Jeff Milburn] had a meeting with him and was like, ‘Yeah, that guy’s never ridden a motorcycle.’”

Nonetheless, during the months Butler spent filming his Dune: Part Two scenes in Budapest, he would sneak off every day to practice on a Harley. This continued until it was time to show up in Cincinnati on top of a vintage bike with engineering so antiquated that experts now refer to those models as “suicide shifters.” (Some castmates were advised not to ride at all.)

Yet there he was, without a camera rig or headgear, zipping across a bridge and mimicking the pose Lyon famously captured half a century ago above the same river. As the actor put his hand on his left thigh and turned his head like he didn’t have two shits left in the world to give, Nichols was ready to jump out of the nearby vehicle holding the camera. “I nearly fell out of the car. I was so excited about it,” the director beams. “He nailed it.”

Twenty-one years after staring at a photo, he rediscovered a lost glory.

The Bikeriders opens in theaters June 21.

Left, from top: Benny with Johnny (Tom Hardy), the leader of the Vandals; Benny chills with Kathy, an “insider and outsider” to the biker group; Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny.

DAN STEVENS

The British actor who made his name in Downton Abbey is having a terrific year, with three very different movies out or on the way. We chat creativity, comedy, and that Good Morning Britain moment.

BY ROSIE FLETCHER | PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK MORGULIS

an Stevens is a busy man. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire landed in theaters at the end of March, where Stevens played charming leading man Trapper, then anarchic horror Abigail arrived hot on its heels in April. Next up, August brings strange horror/sci-fi Cuckoo, which sees Stevens playing a deranged scientist. Between press tours, festivals, and new projects, he’s got a lot going on. And we get the sense he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Describing himself as an “experience hound,” Stevens is a man who thrives on challenges. He began his career in theater, made it big as tragic heartthrob Matthew Crawley in British drama Downton Abbey, and has genre-hopped ever since, from action-thriller The Guest, to playing Sir Lancelot in family fun Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. He sang and danced on stilts for Beauty and the Beast, played

Charles Dickens in The Man Who Invented Christmas, embodied a flamboyant Russian singer in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and starred as a psychic mutant in superhero series Legion. He also likes to write and is editor-at-large and co-founder of quarterly literary publication The Junket. He’s a smart guy, reads prolifically, and has narrated multiple audiobooks, and admits that he’d like to direct one day. He is also fluent in French and German, the latter of which came in handy when working with German director Tilman Singer on Cuckoo

Still, he describes his huge creative appetite as a doubleedged sword. “Generally it’s quite a positive attribute,” he says when asked about his description of himself as having “creative ADHD” in a previous interview. “But it sometimes

makes it hard to pin down the actual thing itself. The appetite for creativity is there but you haven’t actually created anything. You’ve just been arguing about which pen to use.”

Despite his busy schedule, Stevens found the time to come to Den of Geek’s Manhattan studio for an exclusive photo shoot as the final stop on his NYC press tour—he’s cool, confident, and colorful, and an absolute natural in front of the camera. Chatting later from his Los Angeles home via Zoom, though, he’s stylishly dressed in a black T-shirt, his fingernails painted black to match. Born in the UK, Stevens lives in LA now with his wife and three children, explaining that “any Brit who spends a winter in LA realizes why you would want to live in LA,” when we ask if he’s missing England.

He’s back at home for now, but not for long—next up, he’s finishing off the shoot for Netflix miniseries Zero Day in New York, a show he describes as “a cyber-political thriller with an incredible ensemble cast” that includes Robert De Niro. His next movie, The Ritual, where he plays a priest questioning his faith, co-stars Al Pacino and is currently in post-production. He’s not a man who rests on his laurels. So are there any roles he’d love to try that he hasn’t had a chance to? “Yes,” he smiles. “I just don’t know what they are yet.”

What’s it like having three big projects released so close together? Presumably they were shot at different times? They definitely were. I’ve been making these films over the last two or three years, and it’s beyond my control when they come out. It’s amazing to have more in one season. It’s lovely for me to go from one screen in the multiplex and walk down the corridor and see something completely different that also features me. I love that aspect of my career.

How did director Adam Wingard pitch Trapper in Godzilla x Kong to you?

He talked about the character introduction. This guy was going to be responsible for taking out Kong’s tooth, which immediately had my interest. I think it’s one of the coolest character introductions I’ve ever had. He’s really good at these cool beats. Adam knows how to make you look cool.

GIMME

1

Five knockout performances from the versatile actor.

He knows a great tune to give you alongside it. He’s incredible at choosing music for his movies. I knew that already from The Guest. It’s just fun. He doesn’t want anyone to be taking it too seriously. He just wants to give audiences a good time, and I’m right there with him.

It was quite a throwback to old-fashioned blockbusters. We see a little bit of Han Solo in Trapper… Someone described him as a happy-go-lucky Han Solo, which I thought was a really nice description. You’re in good hands with him, but he’s also not really fazed by anything. I’ve played all sorts of different characters and haven’t played anyone quite like Trapper, where he’s just sweet, optimistic, gently philosophical, and he’s quite happy to climb inside of a 300-foot ape’s mouth and take his canine out.

How was it shooting that opening scene?

I’m told by Tom Hammock, our art director who was also the art director on The Guest, that the budget for that scene was larger than the entire art budget for The Guest, which gives you a sense of how much we’ve scaled up! I had the rare privilege of actually getting to interact with a piece of Kong because most people are just pointing at blue screen, or a tennis ball on a stick, or a laser pointer. They constructed a massive piece of the tooth and a piece of Kong’s gum that I could stand on and interact with. So I’ve been up close and personal with Kong, which not a lot of people can say.

You worked with Rebecca Hall on the film, and she’s an old friend of yours…

She is, yeah, we met at university, and we ended up doing a play together. My first professional theater gig was with her, and then we did a movie together when we lived in New York; she’s godmother to my eldest daughter. We’ve known each other for a long time now, over 20 years.

Did you ever find yourself going into Hollow Earth to save the world and thinking, “Do you remember when we were eating noodles back in the Student Union?” Quite a lot. Yeah. It adds to [the story]. Not that anyone’s

Downton Abbey (2010-2012)

Stevens became a household name playing the dashing Matthew Crawley, a lawyer who’s the heir to the Earl of Grantham title. Matthew moved to Downton after meeting Hugh Bonneville’s 7th Earl of Grantham, who is his distant relative. Matthew’s most memorable arc was his long-standing love affair with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), but when they finally get married and have a son, Matthew dies in a car crash in a huge downer of a Christmas special.

2

The Guest (2014)

Despite having roles in Amy Heckerling’s Vamps and Bill Condon’s Julian Assange drama The Fifth Estate, it was Stevens’ starring role in Adam Wingard’s The Guest that pushed him into the limelight. It was an ’80s-soaked thriller with a cracking soundtrack, and Stevens shone as a soldier arriving at the home of the family of his deceased comrade, who charms his way into becoming a house guest. Charismatic and deadly dangerous, it was a showcase for his talents.

really watching Godzilla x Kong for Trapper and Dr. Andrews’ backstory, but there was the faintest hint of it. She’s got this eye-rolling respect for Trapper. Which, I think there may be a little bit in Rebecca Hall’s attitude toward me.

It also looked like you were having a blast on Abigail… Yeah, and I’m really enjoying audiences finally getting to see

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

that because it’s one to see with a crowd. And I love making those movies. I love going to see those movies. Horror comedy is really up my street. Anyone who can get humor in anywhere is doing good work in my book. [Directors] Matt and Tyler [Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett of Radio Silence] really lean into that. There was some on the page; it was a little more like, this is a heist movie; now it’s a vampire movie. Heist movies are often kind of cool; the opening beats of Abigail play into that. Then they get to this house where they’re holed up, and then shit goes off the rails, frankly. They really invited a playfulness with the whole cast.

A lot of it was led by Angus Cloud, who was fantastic to work with. He was throwing in improv left, right, and center, so then we all started doing it. That really loosened the script up; every day became fun, trying to make each other laugh and trying to make Matt and Tyler laugh within the confines of the situation, which is absurd. They are such

3 4 5

Stevens reunited with Condon to play the ultimate romantic hero, one who can’t rely on his good looks (or good manners) to woo the woman he loves. Stevens’ Beast was a mix of performance capture and a special suit. He had to learn to walk and eventually dance on stilts as well as singing for the movie. He’s as charming as ever in his Beast garb.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Stevens stretches his comedy chops (and his tight trousers) as Alexander Lemtov in this joyful supporting role in David Dobkin’s Eurovision comedy. Stevens rocks out as the Russian favorite singing “Lion of Love” with spectacle and panache; his hair is big, his outfits are shiny, and his performance is larger than life to match. “No one was expecting me to do that,” Stevens says. “It did feel like a challenge. But challenge accepted.”

Abigail (2024)

Stevens’ latest is perhaps too new to be labeled an absolute classic but it is such riotously good fun that it’s bound to become a favorite for horror fans forever more. It features an ensemble cast, with a murderously tiny ballerina at the heart, but Stevens’ criminal leader “Frank” stands out, especially in the final act of the film where he goes full goblin mode and looks like he’s loving every moment— Stevens makes an excellent villain and masters some great stunts.

Stevens stars as criminal leader Frank in heist/vampire movie Abigail

Stevens as charismatic Titan vet Trapper, alongside co-stars Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle, in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

playful filmmakers. I had a really, really good time making it despite being covered in so much blood.

It looks like Kathryn Newton gets the worst of it…

She definitely gets the worst deal. Ours, at least, was just movie blood, which is syrup with red in it. Because she’d come through that horrible pool of bodies, for the rest of her existence in the movie, she had to have, sort of, viscera. They mushed up banana and put it with movie blood, and it was all through her hair. If you look closely at the scenes after she’s got out of the pool, there are bits of banana in her hair, which smelled so weird by the end of the day.

Alisha Weir, as Abigail, is a revelation. How did you find working with her?

She floored us all. She’s just such a pro. She’s a gymnast, an athlete, and an incredible dancer, who has a great sense of humor and a great attitude to work. That fight sequence at the end took two weeks to shoot. They were like, “Oh, do you think you could do a backflip and kick Dan in the head?”

And she’d do it 12 times in a row without batting an eyelid. That string of expletives she screams as she’s being pinned down by Kevin Durand got a massive round of applause on set every time. Watching this 12-year-old girl with fangs in her mouth, just effing and blinding, it was delightful.

Do you enjoy doing stunt work?

The Guest was the first opportunity I had to really get physical and to physically prep for a role. I wouldn’t say there was as much of that for Abigail, but you’ve got to stay in shape to be able to do half the things that you’re asked to do; you’re on wires, and it’s exhausting stuff. And just keeping up with a 12-year-old vampire ballerina takes a lot of effort. I like working with choreography in any form, whether it’s dance or fights, it’s much the same thing. The physicality required for whatever it is informs the character. The way that a character holds themselves, the way they fight, the way they dance, has a huge effect on your body, and on your facial muscles.

Beauty and the Beast must have involved a very physical transformation.

Massively. I wasn’t just working with choreographers for dance; I was working with movement coaches. That was a very physical prep, and that really informed facial choices, vocal choices. I probably wouldn’t have had that insight to know to prep that character without having done something like The Guest. I’m constantly learning to be honest. I’m picking up tips on every job.

Was it daunting taking on such an iconic character?

Yeah, it was a great privilege; it’s one of the great animated movies of all time. To get to embody that was amazing.

Next up, you have horror-thriller Cuckoo. Have you seen director Tilman Singer’s previous film, Luz?

Luz is amazing. I really recommend everyone see that. It’s only 70 minutes long, which makes it easy to recommend. It was made for, like, 50,000 euros with a bunch of mates from art school. It’s weirdly disturbing and so smartly done in terms of sound design. I’m a real geek for sound design, and I like watching people’s early work. I’m not expecting to see the greatest film, but you can tell, like watching Adam Wingard’s Pop Skull, which is fucking weird. It’s the same with Luz; it’s a showcase of a brilliant filmmaking mind at work.

Stevens showcases his onscreen charisma in Adam Wingard’s The Guest

Hunter Schafer in Cuckoo, which sees Stevens co-starring as mad scientist König.

How did you come on board?

It was originally supposed to be John Malkovich in the [mad scientist] König role until very shortly before production, and then something came along that meant he couldn’t do it. I got sent the script out of the blue one day. I read it and loved it. I got on the phone [with Tilman] and started speaking German. He didn’t know I could speak German and was blown away. In general, you read something, and either you see something in a character that you respond to, or you don’t. I saw this character, and I just laid it out for him. Three weeks later, I was in Germany in pre-production. There was immediate trust. We both found this character very funny in the midst of what is quite a disturbing, weird thing. It’s similar with Adam; there’s a mischievous quality to their filmmaking, where there’s always an element that is darkly funny in the midst of it all.

Hunter Schafer’s great in it. What was it like working with her?

It’s a really dazzling movie debut. She’s already a very interesting actor from Euphoria and she’d been talking with Tilman about this for years. She’d stayed very loyal to the project and really believed in Tilman. That speaks volumes.

Downton was your big break into the mainstream. How was it having this three-season arc on a TV show? I started out doing a lot of theater. I did about a decade of it before doing any telly at all. I’ve done a lot of classical theater, and that translates quite readily into doing period drama because that’s where a lot of those actors came from. So I just found myself doing a lot of period drama, and that’s something that we make a lot of in the UK. It’s steady work. And that’s great. I just always had an appetite for variety. I enjoyed any actor who you can go out of one movie theater and walk down the corridor and pop into another one and

see them doing something wildly different. You can go to see My Beautiful Laundrette and then walk down the street and see A Room With a View.

You’re a writer as well. Do you get a chance to write much these days?

I do, but not as much as I would like. And I’m always kind of kicking myself for that. I find writing very fulfilling. I’m collaborating with some writers, which is nice; my writing tends to lean more towards prose, so I’m learning how to convert some of those ideas into a screenplay-like shape.

I’d read an interview with you where you had described yourself as having creative ADHD. Do you find yourself wanting to try something new all the time?

I’m an experience hound. For example, if I’m trying to paint with watercolors, I’m just like, “Oh, I wonder what it’s like to paint with oil.” And similarly with writing, it’s like, if I’m writing something, I’m just like, “Oh, should this be a play? Or should it be a poem? Or maybe it should be a screenplay?” It’s constantly morphing in my brain.

Do you think that you might want to direct or produce going forward?

Yes, at some point. I’ve been really lucky to get to work with some wonderful people who are amazing to learn from and see what works and what doesn’t, and to have the support and encouragement of filmmaker friends and colleagues. Radio Silence were the last ones. The amount of improv and ideas for sequences we were throwing in, they were just like, you really should give this a go. So I hope to honor that.

You’ve had this incredibly interesting, varied career so far, but when researching, one of the first things that comes up is the interview on Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid when she asks you how many actors you had to beat off to get the role in The Guest…

That has probably been seen more than all of the rest of my body of work combined and will probably outlive everything I’ve ever done. That’s kind of great. It was very early one morning after getting off a red-eye flight, and Susanna Reid had been given very odd questions. I love moments like that. They’re unexpected. That was a good nine or 10 years ago, and because of the nature of the internet, it pops up on these viral meme sites every few weeks, and someone will send it to me as if it just happened that week. There’ll be a crew member who doesn’t know who I am from Adam and hasn’t seen any of my work. But they did see that clip on Good Morning Britain and thought it was hilarious. It was just pure reaction and pure very tired Dan on live television.

It was very funny.

The real answer I should have given was 17. But you know, I wasn’t thinking that fast.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Abigail are both available to buy and rent on digital download now. Cuckoo will be released in theaters on Aug. 9.

Stevens had his big break as the dashing Matthew Crawley, alongside Michelle Dockery’s Lady Mary, in Downton Abbey.

A deep dive into the most valuable LEGO Star Wars sets today.

BY LEE PARHAM

This story is part of an editorial series presented by eBay.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, the galaxies of LEGO and Star Wars collided for the first time, resulting in one of the most valuable partnerships in merchandising history. With nearly 1,000 total sets produced and over 1,300 different minifigures, LEGO Star Wars is now a mainstay in the world of pop culture collectibles. To celebrate 25 years of LEGO Star Wars, we’re showcasing the 25 most valuable retail LEGO Star Wars sets ever produced, all items you can buy for yourself on eBay right now!

10134: Y-WING ATTACK STARFIGHTER (2004)

One of the most iconic LEGO Star Wars lines is the highly coveted Ultimate Collector Series (UCS). These sets feature bigger versions of beloved ships from the Star Wars universe, with an acute attention to detail. The rugged and mechanical aesthetic of the Y-wing is perfect for this style, with a multitude of pipes, wires, and brackets exposed. At 1,473 pieces, the 2004 rendition of this craft is a striking centerpiece for any LEGO Star Wars display.

7676: REPUBLIC ATTACK GUNSHIP (2008)

In summer 2008, Star Wars branched out into big-budget animation with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. LEGO dedicated sets to the film that August, headlined by the Republic Attack Gunship. The only version of this variant of the Republic Gunship ever made, 7676 featured 1,034 pieces and the first-ever appearance of Clone Wars legends in LEGO form, including Jedi Master Plo Koon, the dynamic Asajj Ventress, and the ever-soreliable Clone Commander Cody.

“That’s no moon; it’s a space station.” The Death Star is one of the largest pieces of iconography in Star Wars history (literally). The massive Imperial space station has received the UCS treatment three times, with the superior second one released in 2008. Built with 3,803 parts and including 24 different minifigures, 10188 captures scenes such as the trash compactor, Luke and Leia’s brave jump over the chasm, and the final duel between Darth Vader and his son from Return of the Jedi

75159: DEATH STAR (2016)

The most recent UCS version of the Death Star, 75159 looks almost exactly like the aforementioned 10188 at first glance. However there are some small differences. Updated parts, including a more accurate hair piece for Han Solo, are included, alongside a plethora of minifigures featuring Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Death Star troopers,

7181: TIE INTERCEPTOR (2000)

The LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series brought us one vehicle from each faction of the original Star Wars trilogy. For the Empire, there was 7181: TIE Interceptor. The sleeker TIE design from Return of the Jedi has appreciated nearly 10x its retail price. Luckily for LEGO Star Wars fans, this set was remade this year, with 75382: TIE Interceptor gracing

75222: BETRAYAL AT CLOUD CITY (2018)

75252: IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER (2019)

The first shot ever seen in 1977’s Star Wars features the Rebel Blockade Runner Tantive IV being pursued by the much larger Imperial Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer absolutely eclipses the Rebel ship, so much so that it’s able to swallow it whole as the villainous Darth Vader prepares to board. 75252: Imperial Star Destroyer accurately depicts this scale, with a miniature model of the Tantive IV for reference juxtaposed against one of the longest LEGO sets ever made, a 43-inch Star Destroyer constructed with nearly 5,000 bricks. The newly retired set has already jumped in value significantly, and you can expect that price to skyrocket over the coming years.

The first set under the new Master Builder Series banner was 75222: Betrayal at Cloud City. This 2,812-piece giant recreated many different moments from The Empire Strikes Back, including the titular betrayal by Lando Calrissian, Han Solo frozen in carbonite, Boba Fett’s ship docked on a landing platform, and Darth Vader’s hefty revelation to his son.

7662: TRADE FEDERATION MTT

(2007)

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace introduced a new set of villains: battle droids. These tan, spindly, squeaky-voiced robots terrorized the planet of Naboo in their Multi-Troop Transports, otherwise known as MTTs. The large, brown tanks could carry dozens of troops at a time, leading to one of the most memorable moments from the film when they were deployed. The 2007 LEGO rendition of the MTT was accompanied by 20 battle droid minifigures and a brick-built droideka. There has never been a more coveted Trade Federation set in LEGO’s history, leading 7662 to have an immense appreciation in value nearly 20 years after release.

The Rebel Snowspeeder, a small suborbital craft with only two seats, was responsible for taking down the mammoth AT-ATs in The Empire Strikes Back. The first UCS LEGO version of this ship was released in 2003 with 10129. Equipped with moving engines, a detailed interior, and adjustable flaps, this 1,457-piece model has stood the test of time.

10030: IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER (2002)

The original LEGO UCS Imperial Star Destroyer was released in the winter of 2002, and the 2019 version recaptures much of its magic. What separates the 2002 set 10030 from its successor is that the original features only 3,096 pieces, significantly less than the 2019 version, but still delivers a massive brick-built model of the Star Destroyer chasing a comparatively tiny Tantive IV.

SLAVE I (2002)

One of the most iconic characters in the entire Star Wars universe is Boba Fett, the mysterious bounty hunter who delivered Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt. Boba’s origins were explained in 2002’s Star Wars prequel film Attack of the Clones, revealing he’s the clone-son of Jango Fett. Jango wore the same armor and flew the same ship as Boba, just in different colors. That ship in question, Slave I, was depicted with a navy blue and mint green color scheme. LEGO released its one and only set based on the Episode II version of the vehicle in 2002, which included exclusive minifigures of Jango and his young son Boba. Because another version of Slave I with this color scheme has never been made, the original remains in high demand today.

7191: X-WING FIGHTER (2000)

The other of the two original UCS sets introduced in 2000 alongside 7181: TIE Interceptor, 7191: X-wing Fighter brought Luke Skywalker’s trusty ship to life. Made out of exactly 1,300 pieces, the rugged aesthetic of the Rebel Alliance’s main starfighter is captured very well, ushering in a new era of extremely detailed LEGO Star Wars models. It’s not a mystery why the original UCS set now fetches a price nearly 10x its retail value.

10212: IMPERIAL SHUTTLE (2010)

Released in 2010, the 10212: Imperial Shuttle is the only UCS version of the ship ever made. Standing at nearly two-feet tall, this all-white behemoth is one of the most visually striking LEGO Star Wars builds ever, with a perfectly smooth exterior that mimics the movie version. With UCS sets receiving remakes constantly, it’s not too far-fetched that this will receive a new version in the near future, but for right now, fans will have to fork out something close to a thousand dollars to acquire this beauty.

10175: VADER'S TIE ADVANCED (2006)

Despite being the signature TIE flown by none other than Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film, the TIE Advanced has received very little attention from LEGO, with only one rendition as a UCS set in 2006. This set is significant for LEGO TIE designs, marking the first time one broke the traditional color scheme of black and blue and swapped in a more accurate light gray and black. With only 1,212 pieces, 10175 remains one of the smaller UCS sets of the last two decades and would benefit from a modern remake.

COLLECTOR’S DIGEST

In The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas introduced an even bigger version of the Star Destroyer, the aptly named Super Star Destroyer. Also known as the Executor, this miles-long capital ship is one of the most intimidating vehicles in all of Star Wars, making it the perfect candidate for the Ultimate Collector Series treatment from LEGO. The long, skinny design built out of 3,152 pieces flips the concept introduced in set 10030 on its head, making the original Imperial Star Destroyer the miniature model when compared to the immense scale of the Executor.

7163: REPUBLIC GUNSHIP

Despite referencing the legendary conflict in the original actually show us the Clone Wars until Attack of the Clones. The Clone Troopers swoop into action to save the day during the Battle of Geonosis in the Low Altitude Assault Transport (LAAT), often referred to as the Republic Gunship. One of the most unique vehicles in Star Wars, this craft is very reminiscent of real-world attack helicopters with fun, science fiction flair. The ship has gone on to garner a bit of a cult following, and LEGO has produced a number of different variations throughout the years, but the original set remains the most expensive to this day. Four Phase 1 Clone Troopers were included, followed by the now-beloved Jedi Bob and an unnamed Jedi Knight with a green lightsaber.

7261: CLONE TURBO TANK (2005)

LEGO experimented with something different in 2005, adding light-up functions to Star Wars minifigures. By simply pressing on their head, the minifigures’ lightsabers would light up, giving the illusion of an ignited blade. The first ever Mace Windu figure was designed in this style. The Jedi Master was included in 7161: Clone Turbo Tank, the biggest set from LEGO’s first wave of Revenge of the Sith products. The set referenced the battle of Kashyyyk on the Wookiee homeworld. Eagle-eyed Star Wars fans, of course, know that Mace Windu didn’t actually appear on Kashyyyk in the movie, but this didn’t stop the set from becoming an all-time classic.

10195: REPUBLIC DROPSHIP WITH AT-OT (2009)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars took the world by storm in 2009, as the animated series wrapped up its first season and transitioned into season two. Clone Troopers were all the rage among LEGO Star Wars collectors, and no set better symbolizes that era than 10195: Republic Dropship with AT-OT. Including two very large vehicles, this product was truly one of a kind. The Dropship had the unique ability to literally lift the AT-OT off the ground, something only ever seen in this single LEGO Star Wars set. A small platoon of Clone Troopers were also included here, and fans who had been building an army of them could deck out their ultimate The Clone Wars set with more soldiers ready for battle.

75188: RESISTANCE BOMBER

FINCH DALLOW VERSION (2008)

In 2017, LEGO released set 75188: Resistance Bomber to coincide with the theatrical run of The Last Jedi. A 780-piece model featured a detailed build of the vehicle seen in the movie’s opening action sequence, joined by five minifigures of members of the Resistance. Among those figures is an unnamed Resistance Bomber Pilot, exclusive to only this set. A year later, LEGO released an updated version with the Resistance Bomber Pilot swapped out for the character Finch Dallow. The new figure had an exclusive face print and helmet piece, meaning fans had to repurchase the same set again or buy Dallow from a third-party market. Because of this, and an oddly short run, the set has exploded in popularity, making Finch

(Tantive IV) finally gets its due in UCS form. This 1,747-piece set from 2001 beautifully captures the hammerhead shark-like shape of the first vehicle ever seen in Star Wars. Eleven engines made from Mars rover wheels adorn the back, capping off a fabulous model for the ages.

chrome elements. These exclusive pieces drive up the price of the set beyond belief. In addition, this product had a very brief shelf-life, only available for purchase for two months at the end of 2002, meaning sealed copies are in short supply today.

10123: CLOUD CITY (2003)

The LEGO Star Wars set to end all LEGO Star Wars sets, 10123: Cloud City has solidified itself as the ultimate piece for any collection. Ironically, it’s not even part of the Ultimate Collector Series, so why is it so popular? For starters, it was the first-ever rendition of anything Cloud City in LEGO form, meaning fans could finally recreate moments such as, “No, I am your father” in the system. Second, Lando Calrissian came as a LEGO minifigure for the first time, and the scoundrel only appeared in that set for the next six years. Finally, a highly-detailed Boba Fett figure with added arm and leg printing was included, way ahead of its time. Boba Fett alone from 10123 is worth more than the majority of sets on this list, often selling for over $2,000. All these factors came together to form the perfect storm of a LEGO Star Wars set, and as the years pass, new copies are becoming increasingly hard to find, yielding the most valuable LEGO Star Wars set of all time.

10143: DEATH STAR II (2005)

The third and final UCS Death Star on the list, and the only one specifically dedicated to the second version from Return of the Jedi, 10143 is one of the most beloved LEGO Star Wars sets ever made. Instead of a fully detailed interior with minifigures to populate, this 3,449-piece model is just that: a model. An eye-opening centerpiece of any collection, LEGO masterfully captured the unfinished essence of Death Star II, all while incorporating the space station's massive laser and a miniature-scale version of the Imperial Star Destroyer.

COLLECTOR’S DIGEST

10179: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR MILLENNIUM FALCON (2007)

The biggest LEGO set of all time upon its release in 2007, the first-ever UCS Millennium Falcon immediately became a staple of any LEGO Star Wars fan’s collection. Made to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, this 5,197-piece behemoth used to command double the price it does today, but because of the 2017 remake, it has depreciated over time. Still, the set’s stranglehold over the LEGO Star Wars fandom contributed to the idea that these small, plastic bricks are a better investment than gold.

10018: DARTH MAUL (2001)

An usual set on this list, 10018 might surprise you: a 1,868-piece bust of Darth Maul. In fact, this remains the only bust LEGO has ever made within the Star Wars theme. Despite a lukewarm reception in 2001, the set now enjoys a cult following, with the rarity of the product in its original box propelling it to new heights. The design is also spectacular for the time as well, accurately picturing the Sith Lord’s menacing face and sadistic horns.

BRIDE OF THE MUMMY

BY DAVID CROW

1. Body Paint That Didn’t Come Off for 10 Days “It took almost 10 hours to get that makeup on. I had four people drawing on my body, and then they had a special chair so I could sit and the paint would not smear, and special shoes… When I was on set, they were just retouching, but the makeup was already there. It would smear overnight, but not much. It was pretty tight, and then I got sick by the end of it.”

2. Talk Like an Ancient Egyptian “They had a linguist from UCLA, and we worked with him. Obviously, there isn’t a recording of how [ancient Egyptian] sounded, so it’s an approximation to what they thought it sounded like… It wasn’t easy, but just like any other acting work, when you are really focusing on what it is that you are trying to achieve through acting, the words come easily.”

3. A Sandstorm Fit for a Mummy’s Bride “When these sandstorms start [in Morocco], we all have to run into our trailers and just sit there for a long time. And I remember one time this sandstorm would not go away, and it’s not like we had cellphones and we could be texting… I’m by myself, and I remember thinking, ‘Well, I don’t think this trailer is going to fly away.’”

4. Fighting It Out with Rachel Weisz “We had to train a lot for the fight scenes. It was never supposed to be us fighting. That’s why they designed those masks that we have when we fight. But Rachel and I got so into it. We became very competitive because we were good friends, and we became so competitive that we ended up doing the fight ourselves. The only thing I didn’t do was the backflip.”

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